


Master of Touch

by Sweet_Enerliel



Series: Master of Touch [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: (eventually) - Freeform, Comfort, Developing Relationship, Domestic, Drinking, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Light BDSM, M/M, Massage, Massage Therapist Dean Winchester, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sexy Times, Smut, Tickling, Ticklish Castiel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-25
Updated: 2019-06-14
Packaged: 2019-08-29 04:15:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 28,973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16736913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sweet_Enerliel/pseuds/Sweet_Enerliel
Summary: A reluctant Castiel Novak gets a massage for the first time. In the hands of a very skilled Dean Winchester, Castiel finds himself relieved of his concerns. The unexpected results go beyond the first visit and lead Castiel to circumstances he never could have predicted.





	1. Chapter 1

 

The bell over the door tinkled gently. The scent permeating the small lobby was not what Castiel would consider pleasant. It was overwhelming and made his nose itch. It was one of those smells that was probably meant to be attractive or soothing but just made Castiel want to sneeze. The atmosphere was very Zen, without actually having any inherently Asian influence. The walls had white wooden panels from about waist high to the floor and were painted a pale green above that. There was a burbling fountain in the back left corner, and plants in black ceramic pots of various sizes around the room. Castiel thought the place looked nice enough, but it did little to calm his nerves.

The curved reception desk to the right of the entrance was currently unmanned, and the only sound Castiel could hear was the fountain and some soft, nondescript music overlaid with forest sounds. After fidgeting for a few moments, waiting for someone to appear, Castiel cleared his throat.

“Uh… Excuse me? Hello?”

Castiel uncertainly leaned around a corner and was just about to call again when a sprightly young woman came dashing out of a room down the hall to the desk.

“So sorry, I didn’t hear you come in.” She said brightly.

“No problem.”

“What can I do for you, sir? Do you have an appointment?”

“Yes, I believe so… It would be under Novak.” Castiel’s inflection made it sound like a question.

“Castiel Novak? Of course, you’re right on time.” The polite redhead said.

Castiel nodded as she scribbled on a planner and clicked a couple things on the computer.

“It looks like it’s been prepaid for an hour and a half. Is that correct?”

Castiel resisted grimacing. He didn’t realize Gabriel had booked such a long session. But he was already here. There was no sense in wasting his brother’s misguided generosity.

“Yes, I suppose.” He answered.

“Alright then!” The woman clapped her hands together, standing again from her desk. “I’ll take you back and Dean can get you started.”

“Dean?”

“Yes,” She smiled, turning back as she led him down the hall, “Dean will be your masseur. It was in the notes that you requested a man.” Her expression became worried. “Was that incorrect?”

Castiel wanted to smack his brother. Of course, he would request a male masseur. He had to make this as uncomfortable for Castiel as possible, didn’t he?

Castiel graciously shook his head and replied, “No, no. It’s fine.”

She didn’t look convinced, but she turned back down the hall once more. “If you change your mind, we can always reschedule with a different masseuse. We wouldn’t be able to do it today, but we would get you in as soon as possible.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Castiel said, trying to sound convincing through his discomfort. “I’m sure Dean is excellent.”

“Oh yes, he’s the best! Even I won’t go to anyone else.” She praised.

Finally, they came to the last room on the left and the receptionist knocked.

“Dean? Your two o’clock is here.”

“Come on in.” A warm voice replied from inside.

She opened the tan door to reveal a small room with a padded, adjustable table, more plants, music, and smells. This scent was much more pleasant and far less overwhelming it was softer and sweeter, like lilac perhaps. But the most interesting thing about the room was the man standing in the middle of it. He wore a pleasant smile and teal scrubs, more blue than green. He thought it was quite a lovely color.

“Thanks, Anna.”

“You got it,” the receptionist, Anna, said cheerily. Then she was off toward the lobby, leaving Castiel standing in the doorway.

“Well don’t be shy, come on in.”

Castiel slowly approached Dean, stiffly shuffling between the door and the bed.

“Sit yourself down, and we’ll have a chat,” Dean invited easily. “This is our first time together, so let's get to know each other a little.”

Dean glided around Castiel casually to shut the door behind him. Castiel uneasily took a seat on the edge of the table. Dean came back and sat in a chair against the wall.

“So, it’s Castiel, right? May I call you Castiel?”

“Sure.”

“Have you had a massage before?”

“No.”

Dean seemed slightly puzzled at that. “Really? An hour and a half is a lot of time for a first message.”

“Well… It’s kind of complicated,” Castiel stared at the floor bashfully. “I didn’t intend to have a massage in the first place. My brother actually set this up for me.”

“Aw, how nice of him.” Dean smiled, ignorant of the true malice of Gabriel Novak.

“Yeah...” Castiel said lamely.

“Well, in that case, have you given any thought to what you’d like to do in this session?”

Castiel hesitated, confused. “Don’t you just… do your thing?”

Dean chuckled. “I do many ‘things.’ I just need to know which one you want.” The way Dean said that made Castiel feel like he was missing some kind of innuendo.

“In that case, I’m afraid I haven’t got the slightest idea. I never thought I would have a massage.”

“Ever? Why not?”

Castiel sighed. He was having trouble making eye contact with Dean. He didn’t want to insult him or his career. “To be honest, I’ve never been interested in receiving a massage. The idea always made me uncomfortable. I’ve never thought about what I would want should the occasion arise.”

“If you're uncomfortable, then why did you come?”

Dean didn’t sound defensive, but Castiel realized what he said might have been rude. “Please don’t think that I believe there’s anything wrong with your profession. It was never my idea of relaxing. A stranger touching me just... But I couldn’t just let Gabriel’s gift go to waste, and he refused to cancel or go himself so… Here I am.”

“I see.” Dean rubbed his chin in thought. “We’ll make the most of this then, and maybe by the time we’re done, you’ll have come around to the dark side.” Dean smiled charmingly.

“If you say so,” Castiel nodded weakly.

“Great. Now then, I could give you a list of all the options, and then you can pick whichever sounds the best. Or, I could make a suggestion.”

“I don’t really want to think about it,” Castiel admitted. “I’ll trust the judgment of a professional.”

“Excellent. And remember, if I do anything you don’t like or you decide it’s not your thing, we can stop, and we’ll return the fee for any unused time.

Castiel’s eyebrows rose. “What if I say I’m uncomfortable right now? Will you give a full refund?”

Dean barked a laugh. “I think in the spirit of your brother’s good intentions, I’ll have to ask you to at least give it a try. Give me half an hour.”

“Fine.” Castiel pouted.

Dean took Castiel through a couple more questions: where he was experiencing any pain, if he had headaches, and any relevant history.

“What do you do for a living?” Dean asked.

“I’m an editor.”

“Newspaper?”

“No, literature.”

“That’s a stressful job. Lots of computer work, I imagine. I can see it in your shoulders.” Dean observed.

“You can?”

Dean sniggered at Castiel’s incredulous expression. “It doesn’t take long in this gig to see where the tension is before you even touch a person.”

“That’s quite impressive,” Castiel replied candidly.

“Thanks,” Dean smiled. “Now, here’s what I’m thinking.  For a full body massage, I usually start at the core and move out to the extremities, because that tends to be most effective. But since you aren’t quite as comfortable yet, I’m not even going to ask you to disrobe yet.”

Castiel felt a little bit of relief at that. “Then what are you going to do?”

Dean stood and stepped on a pedal that made the head of the table rise. “Sit back.”

Castiel looked behind him and shuffled back so that he was leaning at an angle against the black cushions, his head nestled in the strange round pillow at the top. He looked to Dean for more instruction, unable to curb his anxiety. “Now what?” he asked.

“Give me your hand,” Dean said rubbing some oil over his own hands.

Castiel hesitantly held out his left arm. Dean took his hand, then guided his arm to rest mostly on the table. “Just relax your arm as best you can. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

Dean was right, of course. Castiel wasn’t afraid, just… uncomfortable? Embarrassed? He didn’t know. He tried his best to relax focusing on breathing and Dean’s kind demeanor. Then Dean enveloped Castiel’s hand in his own, covering it with a thin layer of oil. It was strange at first, but warm from the heat of Dean’s hands. Castiel watched as Dean gently rubbed his hand, over and over. After a while, it felt to Castiel as if his hand was constantly tingling pleasantly. Suddenly Castiel felt stupid for not realizing the massage had already begun. This was Dean, massaging his hand.

Dean flipped Castiel’s hand so the palm was facing up. He braced his fingers against the back of Castiel’s hand and began rubbing firm circles into his palm with his thumbs. It felt… good. Dean spent a good time there, especially around the joint of his thumb. Castiel liked that quite a bit. Then Dean moved on to each finger individually, his thumbs still doing most of the work. He pressed and stroked alternatively, calling attention to the tension Castiel hadn’t even realized was there. It was no wonder his hands hurt so quickly at work, even with his fancy ergonomic keyboard.

“Yep, definitely a writer,” Dean commented quietly.

“What makes you say that?” Castiel inquired.

“You’ve got the callouses for it.” Dean gently rubbed the inside of Castiel’s middle finger. “And here.” Dean brushed the thick skin on the outer edge of his palm near the wrist.

“Ah, yes I suppose it would be obvious to you.”

“That means you need to take good care of your hands, just like me.” Dean grinned. “Surprised to see you write by hand enough to have a callous though. Most people are strictly digital these days.”

“I find I remember things better when I write them by hand. I also journal a lot. There’s something so special about handwritten prose.” Castiel mused.

“I agree.” Dean paused, then asked, “How are you feeling? A little better?”

“Yes, so far I’m feeling fine.” Castiel returned Dean’s smile.

“Would you mind if I moved up your arm a little?”

“That should be alright.”

Dean smiled and nodded. He applied a bit more oil, then slowly began to work from the wrist to the elbow. He began massaging methodically up his arm. When he reached his elbow, Dean wiped his hands dry and rolled Castiel’s tee shirt sleeve out of the way. He watched Castiel for any protest and finding none, started on his upper arm. The entire process was repeated on the right arm. Before Dean had even finished the second hand, Castiel had closed his eyes, both utterly focused on the pleasant feeling of Dean’s strong hands, and totally uncaring about what was happening to him. A soft smile rested on his lips. Dean had been right. There was nothing to be nervous about.

“Feeling good, Castiel?” Dean asked gently so he didn’t disturb Castiel too harshly. He continued to massage Castiel’s bicep as he waited for a response.

Castiel hummed. “I never thought I’d say it but yes. This is excellent.”

“That’s great to hear. Would you like a quick drink of water or anything? It’s been about twenty minutes.”

Castiel’s eyes widened a bit. That had gone by quickly. “Sure, I would take some water.”

Dean filled a ceramic mug from the cupboard and handed it to Castiel. Castiel still had a bit of residual oil on his hands, but he didn’t have any trouble holding the mug.

“What would you like to do now? Do you feel comfortable with me moving onto your torso? Or legs?”

Castiel thought about it. Dean was a professional. It wasn’t weird or embarrassing for him, so why should it be for Castiel? The massage had felt amazing so far, so it only seemed logical to continue. “Yes. I think I’m ready,” he said confidently.

“Awesome. What are your thoughts on the clothes? I can do it with clothes on if you like. I’ll wash my hands really well, I promise.” He wiggled his shiny fingers in the air.

“Will it be better without clothes?” Castiel asked cautiously.

Dean laughed a little. “Well speaking as an expert, I think I do a better job and you will get better results with clothes off.”

“Are you an expert, Dean?” Castiel asked, feeling comfortable enough to be a bit snarky.

“When it comes to the human body? Heck yeah.” Dean grinned devilishly.

Castiel smiled but pondered for a moment. “I will change,” he decided.

“Alright. The robe is here,” he pointed to the back of the door, “and just dress down to your comfort level. I’ll be right outside whenever you’re ready.”

Dean left the room and Castiel tried to keep his cool. Before he had a chance to change his mind, he quickly removed his shirt and jeans, folding them and placing them on one of the chairs. He hesitated by the door, wondering if he should take off his underwear too. Was that typical? He should have asked Dean before he left. He stared at his boxers before shaking his head and putting on the robe. He wasn’t ready to take that step yet.

Castiel cleared his throat and called, “Okay, you can come in now.”

Dean steadily opened the door, smiling pleasantly. “Okay, back on the table with you,” he said. “How do you feel about the oil? Do you want to keep using it?”

“The oil is fine. You can keep using it if you want.”

“Sure thing. Back or front?”

“Uh, pardon?”

Dean’s smile grew a little. “Do you want me to work your back or your front? Most people favor a back massage, especially beginners, but I can do either.”

“Oh um, yes the back would probably be best for now.”

“Back it is.” Dean lowered the table to be parallel to the ground. “On your belly then.” He gestured to the table.

Castiel laid down and flipped onto his front. He didn’t really know what to do with his arms, so he just let them lay straight at his sides. Once he was settled, Dean lifted the robe draped over Castiel’s legs. He lifted it all the way to the tie, revealing Castiel from the waist down.

“I think I’ll start with your legs. Is that okay?” Dean asked graciously.

“Yes, that’s fine. But um…”

“Yes?” Dean prompted.

“Could you... not touch my feet, please?”

Dean got an inexplicable glint in his eye, so brief Castiel thought was sure he imagined it. But then he was inspecting Castiel’s legs. “Of course, Castiel, that’s a common request. Although I’ll have you know I am very good at foot massages.”

“Maybe next time.”

Dean looked back at Castiel an eyebrow raised with a cocky smirk. “Already thinking about a next time, huh? I must be doing something right.”

Castiel flushed and opened his mouth, but no excuse came forth. “I– I didn’t… well, we’ll see,” he floundered turning away from Dean so he wouldn’t have to face him.

“I guess we will.” Castiel didn’t need to look to know Dean was still grinning.

Dean rubbed the oil over Castiel’s calf, using long languorous strokes to spread it. Castiel closed his eyes again since it would be uncomfortable to watch anyway. Dean began slowly working from the top of his calf muscle to the beginning of his Achilles tendon. He squeezed and rubbed down firmly with the entire curve of his hand. Then he used the heel of his palm and knuckles alternatively to stroke the length of the muscle from knee to ankle, not hard enough to hurt, but very deeply. A grunt fell unbidden from Castiel’s mouth when Dean repeated the motion. Castiel’s eyes flew open, feeling a blush growing on his cheeks, but the embarrassment quickly faded when Dean made no comment and just kept working. He probably heard that sort of thing all the time. Castiel was beginning to believe Dean was very good at his job, even though Castiel had no other experience to draw from.

When Dean was finished with Castiel’s lower leg, he moved on to the thigh. He asked if he could push the boxers up a little, and Castiel hesitantly agreed. Dean applied the oil in circular motions, beginning at the glute. It felt amazingly good, and Castiel began to melt into the slippery motions. As Dean pulled away from the farthest edge of Castiel’s hamstrings, he brushed the thin skin behind the knee lightly. Castiel twitched and gasped, caught off guard by the sensation.

“Sorry,” Dean laughed, “That was an accident.”

“It’s okay,” Castiel said sleepily, relaxing back into the doughnut-pillow.

Dean continued to massage Castiel’s thigh, which was Castiel’s favorite spot so far. He tensed a little when Dean got close to his glutes but learned to be comfortable with it. He never went farther than that line and stayed well away from anything private. But it felt phenomenal when he used his fingers to knead his inner thigh. It had Castiel sighing without a care.

When both legs were finished, Dean gently wiped Castiel’s legs with a towel to remove excess oil and replaced the robe. He touched Castiel’s shoulder and said, “I’m going to pull the robe off your shoulders now, alright?” Castiel hummed an affirmative, not even opening his eyes and lifted his shoulder to assist. Dean got the robe down to the elbow, then did the other side before peeling it all the way off Castiel’s arms. Castiel shivered a bit, even though the room was warm. Dean’s hands were soon soothing the chill with warm oil and wide hands. Dean covered his whole back in oil before he began truly massaging. He started with Castiel’s shoulders, making him grunt in mild discomfort.

“Oof, you’ve got it bad right here. Sorry, this might be a little rough, but trust me, it will feel much better when I’m done.” Dean rubbed circles with his fingertips at the base of his neck, radiating out along the scapulae.

“I trust you,” Castiel grumbled, brow furrowed at the floor through the hole in the pillow.

Dean hummed a laugh and kept working. He spent a lot of time all around Castiel’s neck and shoulders, moving down his back and even over the tops of his arms again when Castiel needed a break. He gradually started using larger movements and Castiel felt the tightness begin to ease. Dean moved on to the rest of Castiel’s back, using his elbows in tough spots and soothing the stress away with his palms. When he reached the lower back, Castiel made pleased noises that he was no longer embarrassed about. He wanted to let Dean know he was doing a good job, and what better way to do it?

“Feel good?” Dean asked, a smile in his voice.

“Yes. So good,” Castiel sighed.

“Awesome. You’re doing great.”

“I’m doing nothing. _You’re_ doing great.”

Castiel could feel Dean’s arms shake when he laughed. “Just be quiet and enjoy, would you?”

“Aye, aye, Sir,” Castiel replied sarcastically.

The rest of the massage went uninterrupted, with most of the time spent on Castiel’s neck and shoulders. By the end, Castiel felt simultaneously like a wispy cloud and the heaviest stone. He couldn’t move, and yet, felt the slightest breeze would blow him away. It was completely novel.

“Well that’s about all the time we have,” Dean said. “What do you think?”

Castiel took his time answering. “Wow.”

Dean laughed happily. “That’s about the highest compliment I can get. I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

“I certainly did,” Castiel said, leisurely lifting himself to a sitting position. “Maybe my brother was right. I didn’t know what I was missing.”

“That’s great to hear, man. Is your brother one of our customers?”

“Probably. I know he gets massages somewhere. His name is Gabriel.”

“Hah! Gabriel Novak, of course! He’s a real hoot.”

“Yes, he thinks so,” Castiel said, crossing his arms grumpily.

“I’ve never had him; he prefers the ladies hands. But I’ve talked to him when he comes around.” Castiel nodded before Dean continued.  

“Does this mean you’ll come to see me again?” Dean asked with more hope than Castiel was expecting.

“I think it does, actually. I feel both calmed and energized. It is quite invigorating.”

“Awesome. I’m hoping this session will have helped with your headaches. See how you’re feeling in a few days, and if you keep loose during the workday, you should notice you don’t feel as stiff. Just stand up, move your arms, take a walk, little stuff. Anytime you’re feeling it, just schedule another appointment with me and we’ll get you back on track.”

“Alright, that sounds good. Thank you, Dean.” Castiel smiled, offering his hand for a shake.

Dean quickly wiped his hand on a towel, then grasped Castiel’s hand firmly. “You’re welcome, Castiel.”

“Call me Cas.”

One side of Dean’s mouth lifted in a crooked grin, “Alright, Cas. It was my pleasure, really.”

Dean left to allow Castiel to change back into his clothes. The smile never left Castiel’s face. Today had turned out splendidly. This cumbersome annoyance had turned out to be a wonderful distraction from his hectic work-ridden life. He was already looking forward to the next time he would get to see Dean. He would have to talk to the receptionist on his way out and see when Dean was available. Castiel had a feeling this could be the change he had needed for so long.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

Gabriel was insufferable after that.

“What did I tell you, Cassie? I knew all you needed was to relax. Next time you need advice, you better trust your big brother. I always know best.” He lauded himself, not for the first time. 

“Yes, oh wise one. What would I ever do without you?” Castiel said flatly as he picked over his Swedish meatballs and pasta. The day after the massage, Castiel invited his brother over for dinner. He had an excellent recipe that he knew Gabriel loved. 

“Probably die of starvation in your friggin’ office. Dweeb.” 

“I would not.” 

“You sure?” Gabriel retorted. “What do you do for fun these days?” 

“I read.”

“Your  _ job _ is to read, Castiel! I haven’t heard a single thing about a friend or fun activity from you for  _ years _ . Actual  _ years _ , Cas. You’re breakin’ my heart here, little brother. You used to have fun.”

“You’re exaggerating. And I still have fun, asshole. I happen to have a career that is also my hobby.”

“No, you had a hobby that turned into work. Don’t try to deny it. You can’t justify an eighty-hour work week by claiming you love your job. I love my job, but that doesn’t mean I don’t need a little time to do other things.”

He wanted to deny that he worked eighty hours a week. That was only when there was a deadline. Although recently it seemed there was always a deadline, so he chose not to die on that hill. “Gabe, why are we even talking about this? I told you I liked the massage, and I’m trying to thank you by making you dinner. Can’t you just accept it and enjoy without picking a fight?”

“I’m not trying to pick a fight, Cassie. I just hate seeing you run yourself into the ground. I don’t want you to lose this speck of momentum. Since you graduated, I haven’t seen you make a single friend.”

“I have friends, Gabriel.”

“Coworkers don’t count unless you see them outside of work. Name one coworker you’ve seen outside of work.”

Castiel shrank in his chair. It wasn’t like he didn’t want friends. He was just so busy with work that he never spent much time trying. Castiel was practical to a T, and he wanted to do a good job. He never wanted to let anyone down, which lead to taking on more responsibility than was probably fair. After a while, people stopped asking if he wanted to join them for a drink after work Friday evenings or go to a bar-b-que for the fourth of July. And he wasn’t unhappy. He had everything he needed. He had a routine, a home, and a comfortable income. He was fine.

“Look Cassie, I booked that massage for you because I just wanted you to do something– anything to switch things up. You’re pushing thirty and you’re already acting like a grumpy middle-aged man, stuck in his ways.” Gabriel smirked, but then became more serious. “I am so proud of you Castiel; you’ve worked so hard for this. But it doesn’t mean anything if you’re not happy.”

That felt like a knife in Castiel’s lungs. Did he really appear so unhappy that his brother worried this much? He always knew he put off a stoic sort of air, but he wasn’t miserable. He felt ashamed for letting Gabriel see that, regardless of how he really felt. 

“Gabriel, don’t worry, I am happy. If nothing else, I’ve got you.” Castiel smiled in a way he hoped was reassuring.

“Yeah,” Gabriel grinned, “You’ve always got me, like it or not.” He shoved Castiel a little making him lean away. “Dinner is delicious, by the way.”

Castiel thanked him and as an afterthought, he added, “I’m getting another massage. About two weeks from now.”

Gabriel brightened considerably. “That’s great, Cas!”

“Yeah. Dean is an excellent masseur.”

“Ah-ha, so you had Dean, then.” Gabriel raised his eyebrows and leered at Castiel. “I see what’s really going on. You just want a muscly hunk to touch you all over.”

“Hey, you were the one who requested a man, not me!” Castiel pointed a finger at him over a bowl of glazed carrots. 

“And? Was I right, or was I right? Benny’s not too bad either, but Dean-o is one fine specimen. I’ll bet he put you right at ease.”

“Okay, I think you’ve had enough, I’ll just clean this up for you.” Castiel reached over with his fork and snagged a meatball off Gabriel’s plate.

“Hey, back off my delicious little babies!” 

“You back off, you pest,” Castiel smirked.

“Killjoy,” Gabriel grumbled.

Castiel laughed under his breath, “A killjoy and a hoot.”

“Huh?”

“Dean said you were a hoot. And I’m a killjoy. I guess we make quite the pair.”

“Maybe, but I still think you have the makings of a ‘hoot’ yourself.” Gabriel winked.

“Your faith in me is appreciated, but I could never live up to your example.”

“Oh, of course not.” Gabriel preened. “I’m far too devious, and you are far too… goody-goody.”

“Alright, stop insulting me and finish your dinner before I really do take it back.”

~♡~

Two weeks went by in a mundane drone of monotony. Work was frustrating and progressing slowly. It seemed like every step forward he took on his projects, he was pushed two back. Whether it was by mistakes, inevitabilities, or stubborn publishers, it didn’t matter. But now it was different. Now, even though work was stressful, he had something to look forward to. Castiel found himself very excited to leave work on Friday, despite his usual reluctance to do so. His appointment was scheduled for five o’clock, so he actually left early. 

“Cas, where are you going? Is everything alright?” 

Balthazar, the person Castiel would consider closest to a friend caught him on his way out. He was one of the only people who held regular conversations with Castiel that weren’t related to work and still asked him to come out frequently. Castiel appreciated his outgoing nature. Someone like Castiel had a hard time reaching out without someone reaching for him first. 

“Yes, everything is fine. I’ve just got an appointment.”

“A doctor’s appointment? You’re not sick are you?”

It didn’t surprise him that Balthazar thought something was wrong with how unusual it was for Castiel to leave early. “No, it’s uh…” He didn’t know why he was embarrassed to admit it, but he did just accept this whole massage thing himself recently. It felt excessive and spoiled. “I’m getting a massage.”

“Really?” Balthazar laughed. “Good for you, man, if anyone deserves it, you do!”

“Thank you, Balth.” That seemed like a very kind compliment to Castiel; like his hard work was not unnoticed.

“Hey, if you’re free afterward, you should join us at the Ash Tray. They’re doing karaoke tonight!”

The Ash Tray was a nearby dive bar owned by an unexpected young man who doesn’t look like he would have the business sense for a lemonade stand, let alone a successful restaurant. But Ash pulled it off somehow. He always said he owed it all to a woman named Ellen, but Castiel had never met her. The only reason he knew all this was because there had been an office party there for his team one Christmas.  

“I’ll think about it,” Castiel said. They both knew he wouldn’t, but Castiel hoped that someday soon, he would be able to accept one of Balthazar’s offers. 

“Alright, have fun at your massage. See you later!”

“See you.”

Castiel left swiftly, wanting to go home and shower before the massage. He’d been having anxious sweats all day and he didn’t want to smell funky when he was going to have to take his clothes off. 

He arrived promptly at ten ‘til five, the anticipation a totally different sort from two weeks ago. The itchy incense didn’t bother him as much this time around, and Anna was sitting at the desk, ready for him the moment he entered. 

“Welcome back, Castiel. How have you been?” She asked.

“Busy with work. Happy to be here now, though.”

“And we’re happy to have you,” Anna smiled. “Dean’s just finishing up with another patron, and then it’ll be your turn.”

Castiel took a seat on one of the stylish black lobby chairs and fiddled mindlessly with his phone. Not five minutes passed, and Dean was walking out of the hall with a beautiful buxomy woman with curly brown hair. 

“Well Dean, you were miraculous as always. Why don’t you marry me already?”

Castiel sat up straight, schooling the shock from his face.

“Sorry Meg, but flattering as it is, I’ll have to decline.” Dean grinned indulgently.

“Fine,” Meg pouted, “but one of these days, I’ll get you to come around.”

“Whatever you say, Meg.”

Meg winked salaciously and turned to Anna to settle her payment.

“Hey, Cas!” Dean turned his attention to Castiel with bright enthusiasm that was contagious. “Good to see you again so soon. Should I be worried? Did I do a crappy job?”

“Oh no, it’s not that. Quite the opposite, in fact.”

“Good, good. Let’s get to it then!”

Castiel followed Dean down the hall to the same room as before. He wondered if each of the masseuses must have their preferred rooms. Dean asked Castiel if he would like to dress down, and gave him privacy when he said he did. When he re-entered and the door was closed, Castiel asked, “Does that happen often?”

“What’s that?”

“The um… marriage proposals.”

“Oh!” Dean laughed. “More than you might think. It happens to all of us. Just part of the kit and caboodle, I guess. Meg’s is just teasing, you know. She’s not really the marrying type.”

“You know her well?” Castiel was inappropriately interested in the strange interaction he witnessed.

“Yeah, we were friends way before I became a masseur.”

“I see.” 

Dean clapped his hands together and rubbed them together. “Well, shall we get this show on the road? Don’t want to waste your time talking about me.”

“Oh, right.”

“So what do you want to do today? Is anything hurting?”

“Actually not really, I still feel pretty good from last time. My hands haven’t felt this good in… years I think. It’s just…” Castiel trailed off, not knowing how to finish his thought without sounding creepy or spoiled or something.

Dean chuckled and raised a placating hand. “Don’t worry, Cas. There’s no shame in just getting a massage for the fun of it. Heck, those are the best kind.”

Castiel smiled, glad Dean understood. 

“In that case, do you want to stick with what we know you’re comfortable with and do something similar to last time? Or would you prefer to do something different?”

Castiel knew he would love the same treatment as last time. But a part of him wanted to do something new and exciting. That’s what it had been all about last time and that had turned out well. He trusted Dean, so anything he did would be fine.

“I want to do something new.”

An excited grin snuck onto Dean’s face. “I was hoping you would say that.”

He walked over to the counter where there sat what appeared to be a crockpot. Steam billowed when he lifted the lid. Dean came back over with a wooden bowl filled with perfectly round black stones.

“How would you feel about a hot stone massage?” 

“Ah, that must be what you see in all the pictures.” He recalled seeing many pictures with a line of stones set on a woman’s spine from various massage establishments.

“Yeah, I guess they do use them a lot in advertising,” Dean smirked.

“I’m not opposed to the idea.”

“I think you’ll really like it. The heat helps to loosen deep muscle tissue and the hardness of the stones helps to dig deeper than I can with my hands.”

“You’re the pro. I’m at your mercy.”

Dean’s face contorted strangely for a moment, but before Castiel could interpret the look, Dean had turned back to the counter to grab some lotion. “Okay, take the robe off your shoulders so I can get to your back and lay on your front, please.” 

Castiel did what he was told and got comfortable on the padded table. It wasn’t long before Dean was standing at the head of the table, gently coating Castiel’s back in a mildly scented lotion. It wasn’t floral or fruity. He didn’t have a name for it, but it was sort of spicy and he liked it. Dean used broad, steady strokes to rub his back and Castiel thought he would be happy if this was all Dean did. 

Soon though, he heard the clack of river rocks moving against each other. He felt the very warm stones hit his back and sighed in approval as the long strokes were mimicked with the stones instead. Dean moved the stones over his back, pressing firmly, but careful to avoid bone. He started close to the spine then moved outward onto his arms. Several minutes later, Dean placed those two stones along his lumbar spine. Two new stones touched Castiel’s back and the process repeated. Castiel understood now what he meant about the heat reaching the deep tissue. It felt like the heat was sinking into him in a most satisfying way. Dean used the stones on his neck as well, turning them so the edge pressed into the muscle. He held the stones in place and pushed them in small circles sometimes, making Castiel’s entire limp torso rock side to side. Every once in a while, Dean would add the old stones to the line and get two new ones to work with. When he ran out of space, he placed four additional stones in a line across his shoulders and placed a warm towel over his entire back.

“Okay, Cas, I’m gonna let those stew for a minute, you just relax.”

“Okay,” Castiel mumbled dazedly.

Having nothing else to focus on, Castiel noticed the music more prominently now. He thought he recognized the tune, but he’d definitely never heard this version before.

“Dean?” 

“What’s up?”

“Is that Pink Floyd?”

“You noticed! It’s actually the London Philharmonic Orchestra playing a cover of  _ Money. _ They did a whole cover album of Pink Floyd.”

“You don’t say. That’s pretty cool. And quite unexpected.”

“It’s awesome. I’m a classic rock fan myself, but most people don’t find that music relaxing enough. This way, you get your nice chill music, and I get my jams and no one is the wiser.”

“I don’t think listening to classic rock would lessen my enjoyment of our time together. I would consider myself a rock fan too.”

“I hear ya, buddy, but I gotta make sure everyone’s happy.”

“Of course.”

“Maybe next time, I’ll switch up the music just for the two of us,” Dean suggested.

They sat in silence a few more minutes and then Dean made sure Castiel was awake before he removed the towel and cooling rocks. He brought out another batch of hot stones and began massaging perpendicular to his spine rather than parallel to it. This felt just as nice and Castiel really did feel inclined to sleep, but he resisted, not wanting to miss a moment. When Dean was done, he rubbed Castiel’s back over another warm towel with gentle touches. It made Castiel smile into his doughnut-pillow.

“I think I’m starting to understand why people ask for your hand in marriage,” Castiel commented.

Dean laughed gently, “Everyone just wants to use me for my skills. They don’t really want to marry me. They want free massages.”

“Still, I can understand. You are also very kind.”

“Thanks, Cas. You may have just made my day.”

“You’re definitely making mine, so turnabout's fair play.”

“I’m not sure that’s how you use that expression. Aren’t you an editor?”

“No don’t you see? It’s irony. The expression is typically used when someone has done you wrong, but we are paying each other back with kindness. It’s funny.”

“Well, when you put it that way...” Dean laughed. “We’ve still got thirty minutes left. What do you say to a change of position?”

“That sounds good.”

Castiel rolled over and pulled his robe back up. Dean put the stones away, raised the head of the table so Castiel could recline, and came to sit at the foot of it.

“Okay Cas, I know you’re a little nervous about this, but you’re on a roll here. I think you need to give my foot massage a try.”

Castiel stiffened. He hadn’t let anyone touch his feet since he was a child. He was very… sensitive.

“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea, Dean.” He blushed and rubbed his arm restlessly. He knew from experience, the moment you admitted you were ticklish, people found it necessary to exploit that fact. 

“Cas, I’m a professional. You can trust me. Foot massages are the best!”

“I do trust you, but…”

“If I’m not mistaken, I know what you’re worried about.” He gave Castiel a comforting pat on the shin. “Just relax; I know where to draw the line.”

“I… okay. But if I don’t like it–”

“I’ll stop right away. Don’t you worry, Cas. You’ll love it.”

Castiel tried not to stiffen and undo Dean’s hard work. He gripped the cushions of the table and stared as Dean brought his hands to Castiel’s feet. The first touch made Castiel jump, but Dean squeezed one foot firmly, calming him down. He squeezed up and down both feet, his fingers on top of Castiel’s feet and his palms pressing into the soles. He did that until Castiel laid back into the table again. Once he wasn’t so on edge, Dean added some minty lotion to his hands and spread it over Castiel’s feet, always using constant, predictable pressure. Castiel continued to watch as Dean worked, still not completely at ease. His legs were tense, but he couldn’t help it.

“Relax Cas. I’ve got you.”

Dean had a gentle smile on his face like he couldn’t be happier doing anything else. Castiel clung to that. By the time both feet were sufficiently slathered in lotion, Castiel had almost relaxed. He focused on the quiet music and Dean’s tranquility and slowly let the calm wash over him. 

Then Dean pressed a thumb up the very center of his foot. Castiel gasped, then melted completely. He didn’t feel the  _ zing _ he expected. It was deep and rolling, like magma, and seemed to extend up his entire leg. Castiel moaned at the unexpected feeling.

Dean chuckled triumphantly. “I told you you’d like it. People with sensitive feet tend to enjoy these massages the most. The masseuse has to know what he or she’s doing though.”

“Clearly–mmm” Castiel cut himself off with another groan, “–my masseuse knows very well what he’s doing.”

“Hm-hm! You bet.” Dean grinned charmingly, and Castiel felt an inexplicable thrill in his stomach. He brushed it off as a side effect of the massage.

Castiel let his eyes slip closed, hands folded on his middle. Dean treated him with care, rubbing the pad of every toe, the balls of his feet down to his heels. He paid special attention to his arches, which felt divine. He rubbed in circles, then in lines up and down his soles. Castiel would never doubt Dean’s suggestions again. 

It was over before Castiel knew it, and he felt like nothing more than a pile of putty, molded by Dean’s capable hands. He suddenly felt concerned that he might get addicted to this feeling. 

“You okay, Cas?” Dean asked while carefully toweling off Castiel’s feet.

“Don’t make me move, please.” Castiel murmured dryly.

Dean laughed joyously, almost too loud for the little room. “You are my last customer today, you could probably stay the night. However, I don’t think this table is a good substitute for a bed.”

“It will do fine. Goodnight, Dean.”

Dean laughed again, doing away with his towel. He came back and placed a warm hand on Castiel’s shoulder. “Come on, buddy, up ya go. I have ways to compel you; don’t make me use them.” The mischievous glint in his eye Castiel had glimpsed before was back. He didn’t want to know what Dean would do if provoked. 

Or maybe he did. 

Castiel quickly smothered that inappropriate and completely ridiculous thought and sinuously stretched for a moment, then sat up slowly. 

“I don’t know what I’m going to do.” Castiel lamented.

“What do you mean?”

“If I’m not careful, I will never want to leave this place. It feels like an escape here.”

Dean’s lips quirked. “Come as often as you like. You’re fun to work with.”

“Don’t tempt me.” 

Castiel felt so comfortable here. Beyond the physical relaxation, Dean was a delight to be around. He was so easy to talk to even though they’d only spent a grand total of three hours together. He must be more starved for friendship than he imagined if he was already beginning to think of Dean as a friend. Though, he figured it was a part of Dean’s job to make his customers feel welcome. Everyone he worked with probably felt like this. 

Once Castiel was dressed again, he joined Dean in the hallway and he walked Castiel back up to the front. They shared a bit more friendly banter before Dean said his goodbyes and returned to the room to sanitize. Anna leaned in when Dean was gone like she was going to share a grand secret.

“You know, we have discounted packages if you want to make this a regular thing. You look much happier when you come out of there.”

“Do I?” Castiel tried not to be offended. Did everyone think he looked like a miserable asshole all the time? Who knows, maybe he really was just a miserable asshole. That would explain why he had no friends.

“Yep. And Dean likes you. I can tell.”

That got Castiel’s attention. “What do you mean he likes me?”

“He talked about you after your first appointment. He thinks you’re funny and was really happy when I told him you made another appointment.”

“He thinks I’m funny?” Dean did seem to laugh and smile a lot. Castiel thought that was just how Dean was. Castiel considered that Anna was just telling him this to make him want to purchase more massages but... “Tell me about these discounts.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I write a lot of dialogue. Is it too much? This chapter came to me way faster than I thought it would. Yay lol. I hope it wasn't boring and I'll see you next chapter! <3


	3. Chapter 3

Castiel found himself the newest member of Stairway to Heaven Massage Therapy’s preferred club. Basically, he paid a flat rate for the year and scheduled as many hour-long appointments as he wanted short of one per week. As long as he had more than twelve massages, he would be saving. And Castiel intended to have far more than twelve.

Since he had begun seeing Dean, Castiel felt more energetic, his headaches had all but disappeared, and he had a better disposition in general. His coworkers seemed friendlier lately. The massages didn’t solve all his problems, but they did make him realize that changes needed to be made in his life. He made it a point to go home at a reasonable hour and sleep more regularly. This allowed him to wake up earlier so he could make his own lunch rather than skipping or eating fast food on his break. He even began to feel good enough to start running again. Just these small changes made his time much more productive. Even though he was spending less time at work, he was making just as much progress.

One day, Castiel was shooting the breeze amiably with some of his office mates.

“What has gotten into you these days, Cassie?” Balthazar asked. “You’ve got so much pep in your step, I’d sooner mistake you for a cheerleader than an overworked book editor.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Castiel smirked.

“As you should, my friend, but come on. Don’t tell me you weren’t half dead on your feet most days until recently. What’s happened?”

“Nothing’s happened, I just started changing my habits.”

“Well, whatever the case, I’m thrilled for you Cassie.”

“Thanks. Me too.” Castiel peeked at his watch. “I better get back to work.”

“Hey, Castiel,” Balthazar gripped his shoulder before Castiel could get too far. “Come celebrate your ‘changing habits’ tonight. I’ll buy your first round.”

Castiel’s usual automatic answer was on the tip of his tongue, but he held it. His mouth gaped a bit with the unspoken words, then shut it quickly with a smile. “Okay. Sure.”

“Alright, but promise me one of these days… wait, what?”

Castiel chuckled. “I said yes, Balth.”

“Oh! Brilliant! Ha-ha, Castiel’s coming out of his shell!”

Castiel hunched, embarrassed by Balthazar’s loud proclamation, but smiled on.

“Eight o’clock. The Ash Tray. Be there, or I will drag you myself!”

“I’ll be there,” Castiel said.

Friday had become Castiel’s official bi-weekly massage day. He always looked forward to the next one and they broke up his life nicely. After work, he would take a shower before heading to Stairway to Heaven. Though their sessions were only an hour now, Castiel enjoyed them just as much. Dean had started bringing in different music for them to listen to: Metallica, ACDC, Led Zeppelin of course. They always kept it soft so they didn’t disturb the other patrons, but it made Castiel feel special, like he and Dean had their own “thing” that they kept secret from the world.

To the tune of Kansas, Dean gave Castiel a full manicure, something which until today, Castiel assumed included painted nails.

“Nah, that’s just the last step, completely optional,” Dean had explained. “There’s also exfoliation and hydration of the skin, massage, and nail care. Those are good for everyone.”

Castiel liked trying all the different treatments Dean had to offer. So far, he had done several types of massage. Castiel had never known how many different styles there were. He would probably pick his favorites at some point, but he had already decided he always wanted to have a variety.

“I’m going out for drinks tonight with some coworkers.” Castiel admitted while Dean was clipping his cuticles.

“Oh yeah? That sounds fun,” Dean replied.

“I’m kind of nervous, to be honest. I don’t really get out much.”

“You don’t say.”

Dean had teased Castiel about being a workaholic ever since he had explained Gabriel’s motivation for booking that first appointment. Castiel didn’t mind. He felt comfortable sharing these things with Dean for some reason. He didn’t feel ashamed of how he was. Ultimately it brought Dean revenue, so it’s not like Dean could complain.

Castiel acknowledged his jab with a pointed look, and then moved on. “You know, you’re the most social interaction I get outside of work.”

“I’m honored, but I’d be even happier if that won’t be the case anymore.”

“Won’t you feel left out? You won’t be my one and only anymore.” Castiel felt his eyes crinkle with a smile.

“Oh, I’m not so selfish to keep you to myself. I want to share you with the whole world! Everyone’s gotta experience this awesomeness.” He gestured in Castiel’s direction.

Castiel laughed bashfully.

“So where are you going?”

“The Ash Tray. That’s where they always go.”

“Really? That’s where I was going tonight. I’ve got friends there. I wonder if I know any of your coworkers.”

“Maybe. I imagine they’re pretty hard to miss.” He hadn’t experienced it much in person, but he’s heard Balthazar is not a quiet drunk.

“I guess we’ll find out tonight.”

It occurred to Castiel that he was going to see Dean in an environment other than one in which there was a business transaction between them. Would that mean they could take a step toward becoming real friends? He felt warmth fill his chest.  He would like that very much.

 

At home in his pristine apartment about an hour later, Castiel fussed around his closet for much longer than he had intended to. Knowing that Dean might be there turned this evening venture into a completely different animal. He would have to face his co-workers and Dean at the same time, in a relatively unfamiliar setting. Castiel couldn’t decide what all the squiggly feelings in his gut meant. He was nervous, certainly. But was it a good nervous or a bad nervous? Was the heat in his cheeks anticipation, or dread? There was no way to tell. Castiel had a feeling he wouldn’t know for certain until he actually showed up.

It wasn’t a “fancy” place. There was no reason to dress up. It would be weird. However, it was also sort of a big deal for Castiel. He wanted to dress up. It felt like an important moment; hopefully, a milestone of sorts. After fifteen minutes of staring at his clothes, standing in his underwear and a starchy white button-up shirt, he finally pulled down a navy blue dress shirt that he used when he wanted to impress a client or intimidate a distributor. He paired it with crisp black slacks and a silver tie. He completed his outfit and looked in the mirror. He grimaced, realizing he looked like he always did at work, minus the blazer. Skip the tie then, a couple buttons less, and he called it good.

He drove to the bar praying that the clamminess of his hands would disappear as the night went on. He arrived precisely at eight o’clock, and then smacked himself, only then remembering it was lame (Gabriel’s word) to show up to a gathering on time. It had been so long, he’d forgotten what the appropriate etiquette was. He glanced apprehensively around the parking lot, looking for a familiar car to tell him he was not the first one to arrive. Unfortunately, he didn’t spot anything, and he wasn’t confident he would remember his coworkers’ cars if he saw them. He slumped in his seat gazing at the ceiling, then his phone. Five minutes went by and he decided he was being silly. People go into bars alone all the time. If no one was there yet, he’d sit at the bar and have a drink like a normal human being. He heaved himself out of the car and made his way purposefully to the warmly lit entrance.

The atmosphere inside was humid and odoriferous. The distinctive smell of beer and merriment filled Castiel’s senses. He looked over the textured metal of the bar, the dark wood of the furniture, and the nearly orange filaments of the bare bulbs that served as lighting. He thought it was not a bad look, if simple. The crowd was lively, but not deafening. He could manage this. All at once, he felt even more silly for worrying about being early when he spotted Balthazar, Hannah, and Gadreel gathered around a cocktail table near the dart board. He felt a self-deprecating smile pull his lips.

“Cas! Welcome, darling.” Balthazar gripped Castiel’s shoulders when he was close enough to do so.

“Hello, Balthazar.”

“Wonderful to see you, friend, somewhere aside from that stuffy old office.” Balthazar waved his hand as if he were shooing a bothersome insect.

“You don’t think this place is stuffy?” Castiel goaded facetiously.

“No, that’s ambiance, Castiel. Authenticity! Genuine quality.” Balthazar made grand gestures around the humble bar.

Castiel shook his head. “If you say so.” He didn’t disagree.

“I’m so glad you came,” Hannah said, leaning in and placing a friendly hand on Castiel’s elbow.

“Thank you, Hannah, I’m glad to be here.” He smiled and turned to Gadreel. “Actually, I’m sort of surprised to see you here, Gadreel. I didn’t picture you as the sort to be interested in this sort of thing.”

“I’m usually not; I come out every once in a while, but I do have my family waiting at home,” Gadreel explained.

“But when we heard you were coming out for a drink,” Hannah continued, “we had to come and join you! It’s not every day we get to spend actual time with you.”

Castiel blushed. “You didn’t have to do that. It’s not that big a deal.”

“Good!” Balthazar said jovially, “Then it will be no problem for you to join me in my revelry every week!”

Castiel glared at Balthazar and Gadreel laughed, “Come on Balthazar, no one can keep up with you. I think every week is asking a lot.” He smiled sympathetically at Castiel.

“Alright, alright. One step at a time.” Balthazar conceded. “So, what are you drinking?”

Castiel was normally a martini man, but he felt like actually drinking something, not just slowly sipping out of a shallow glass. Besides, this wasn’t the sort of place you ordered a martini. He told Balthazar to pick a beer he thought was good. He came back with some weird hipster IPA and Castiel raised an eyebrow at the name. Balthazar just shrugged saying he was always too chicken to try it. Castiel grinned in spite of himself, thinking this was the sort of things friends did together. They tried new things, sometimes at the expense of the other.

The beer was okay, but it was no martini.

After a lot of chatter about gloriously un-work-related things and a couple beers down, the four of them decided to start a game of darts. Castiel brought out a round of green tea shots; his favorite, and disastrously easy to drink. Balthazar suggested making a game of it, saying that if anyone hit the double or triple lines, they had to take a shot, two if you hit the bull's eye. Being the sensible adults with families they were, Hannah and Gadreel quickly shot that down. Castiel was inclined to agree. Getting debilitatingly drunk was never fun for him, even in college. He’s certainly not aiming for that now.

Everyone was hilariously bad except for Gadreel. Hannah rubbed it in that she had the best teammate ever and refused to switch in following games. Balthazar became increasingly more competitive and increasingly worse as he continued to drink. Castiel just laughed easily over Balthazar’s frustration.

It surprised him how easily he fit back into the social scene, even if this was relatively tame. So many years went by without practice that Castiel figured it would be torture trying to weasel his way back into conversation and amusement. He never had a hard time before; it just became less of a priority. Now, his priorities had changed again. His career still mattered, but this was important too. Running was important. Spending time with Gabriel was important. Eating well was important. And Dean was…

“Castiel?”

The unmistakable voice from over Castiel’s shoulder sent a thrill through him. He turned, a smile growing on his face before he even met his gaze.

“Dean.”

“Hiya, Cas! You made it! Good for you, buddy.” Dean’s hand landed on his shoulder at the base of his neck and kneaded a couple times. It was like the Vulcan neck pinch, but it felt good. Now all Castiel could think about was how he could really go for another massage. After all, it had only been his hands today.

“Who’s your friend, Castiel?” Hannah asked.

Castiel turned back to his little group. “Oh, uh, everyone, this is Dean, my masseur. Dean, this is Hannah, Balthazar, and Gadreel.” He pointed to everyone in turn.

“So you’re the one that got the stick out of ol’ Cassie’s bum?” Balthazar slurred. Was that what Balthazar has been thinking this whole time? That’s embarrassing. Castiel should probably have been keeping a better eye on how many drinks Balthazar has been having.

“Excuse him, he’s an idiot,” Gadreel announced before Castiel had a chance to defend himself.

“It’s a pleasure to meet y’all,” Dean grinned. Then he addressed Balthazar, “I don’t know what you mean though. Castiel has been a delight to work with.”

“We think so too,” Hannah smiled impishly.

“I’m right here, you know.” Castiel huffed, ears feeling warmer than before.

“Easy, Cas. We’re just happy you’re happy.” Dean said with a sincerity that seemed out of place.

“Of course, we all _love_ Caz.” Balthazar walked over, abandoning his fist-full of darts on the floor and slinging an arm around Castiel. “I’ve been _beggin’_ ‘im to drink with me for ages. He’s _hilarious!_ ”

“You’re drunk, Balthazar.” He leaned away from Balthazar’s stinking breath.

“I’m not drunk, _yer_ drunk.”

“Maybe it’s time to get Balthy here home,” Hannah suggested.

“No, we’re celebrating! The night is young!” Balthazar complained.

Castiel shoved him into a stool, going to pick up the discarded darts. “It’s okay Balthazar. This was really fun, but I’m getting tired anyway.”

“Oh, really?” Dean asked. His expression was hesitant “I was hoping you’d be here a little longer…”

Castiel froze, at a loss. “I, uh…” He hadn’t been lying; he was getting tired, and Balthazar had clearly had more than enough for tonight. But he had been hoping to hang out with Dean at least a little bit.

Before Castiel could make up his mind, Gadreel saved the day. “Yeah, I’m getting tired too. Why don’t I make sure this sack of potatoes makes it home safe.” He took Balthazar under the arm. “You can stay and finish your beer, if you like.” He gave Castiel a pointed look and nodded to his own nearly full beer. Castiel had finished his own several minutes ago. He was confused for a moment, but then he smiled brightly, understanding.

“Okay. Thanks a lot. What will you do, Hannah?”

“I think I’ll head home too. Left my husband home with the two troublemakers.” She always referred to her twin daughters that way. They could be surprisingly devious for nine-year-olds.

Castiel nodded. “Thank you for joining us tonight. Really, it was so enjoyable to spend time with you three.”

“Listen to this guy,” Hannah laughed and swatted Dean on the chest with the back of her hand, “‘enjoyable to spend time with you...’ we’ve got ourselves quite an eloquent wordsmith, don’t we?”

Dean chuckled, happy to be sharing the joke, “You should hear him after I’ve been working on him for an hour or so. Not too eloquent then.”

“Hey,” Castiel harrumphed.

All three of them laughed, and Castiel couldn’t help but smile a little too.

“Cassie, you had fun right?” Balthazar finally decided to wake up enough to join the conversation again. He peered at Castiel with bleary, but hopeful eyes.

“Yes, Balthazar, thank you for inviting me.”

“You’re welcome.” Balthazar’s drowsy smile warmed Castiel’s heart.

After making sure their tabs were paid, the other’s said their goodbyes with Balthazar shouting on the way out that they would do this again soon. Castiel waved his friends off, hoping that Balthazar was right.

“You were right,” Dean said, calling Castiel’s attention back to him.

“About what?”

“Your coworkers are memorable. I’ve seen Balthazar around almost every time I’m here. Never introduced myself though, I should have reached out. He seems like the life of the party.”

Castiel sighed ruefully, “He certainly is.”

They stood there, smiling at each other for a few moments until Castiel realized he was probably being weird. He quickly grasped for something to say. “So, um, did you just get here?” He drifted over to grab Gadreel’s beer so that he would appear natural and have something to do with his hands.

“Yeah, I wasn’t planning on staying too long. I like to drop in every once in a while. Ash is a buddy of mine from high school. This is one of me and Sam’s favorite haunts.”

Castiel knew from previous conversations that Sam was Dean’s younger brother. He was very proud of Sam and enjoyed talking about his accomplishments as much as the things about him that got on his nerves. Castiel hoped he could meet Sam some day.

“Is Sam here tonight?”

“No, just me. I haven’t seen Ash in a while, so I thought I’d say hi. Plus, knowing you would be here, I had to come and see you on your first voyage into the fray.” He leaned in, wearing a crooked smile.

“Don’t rub it in. You know, it’s people like you that make it hard to venture out in the first place. The last thing I need is everyone making a big deal out of it.” Castiel chastised.

“I don’t know, it seemed like Balthazar was making a pretty big deal out of it.”

“That’s just Balthazar. He makes a big deal out of everything.”

Dean laughed lightly. “Yeah, I’ve noticed he seems dramatic.”

“I’m just relieved he didn’t invite the entire office.” Castiel took a sip of his beer and glanced around the room. “Do you have a drink yet?”

“Not yet. You wanna join me at the bar? I’ll introduce you to Ash.”

They took a couple stools near the farthest end of the bar. Their elbows bumped as they sat down. Castiel smiled awkwardly at Dean in apology, but Dean just grinned fetchingly as ever. Dean called out to Ash, who was serving another customer nearer to the entrance. Castiel didn’t bother mentioning that he had technically already met Ash. In all likelihood, the scruffy bar owner didn’t remember him anyway. Ash turned with a grimace, then smirked holding up a finger. He finished up with the other customer then made his way over.

Ash frowned at Dean. “Well look who the cat dragged in. You come to sully my bar again, Dean?”

Dean gave an obnoxious snort. “My presence alone brings so much class to this place, you should be paying me.”

The two of them stared at each other for a few seconds before Ash broke out into a wide smile and raised his hand. Dean grasped it firmly with a smile of his own.

“How you been, Dean? Haven’t seen you in a while.”

“I’ve been busy. Got a full schedule at work and I’m restoring a car for a buddy of mine in my spare time. Real sweet set of wheels; sixty-eight Mustang. You should come by and check her out.”

“Thanks, man, I’ll let you know when I’m available.”

Dean turned his attention to Castiel. “Ash, I’d like you to meet friend Cas. He’s one of my regulars.”

“Yes, Castiel. You were here a couple years back for a Christmas party, weren’t you?”

Castiel gawped a little. “I can’t believe you remember that.”

“Well, to be fair, you were the only tame one of the bunch. That was a party to remember.”

Castiel chuckled and shook his head, “Yes, I recall. Apparently, literature nerds keep their fun pent up then let it all out at once. All except Balthazar at least. He is just a constant stream of party energy.”

“All except him and _you_ ,” Dean said. “You don’t seem to have much “party energy” at all.”

“Are you calling me boring?” Castiel squinted at Dean.

“Of course not! Just… subdued.” Dean shrugged sheepishly.

“Subdued. Yeah, that’s better.” Castiel struggled to keep a straight face, so he crossed his arms and turned toward the back wall.

“Cas, come on, you know that’s not… You’re awesome, Cas. The most fun at any party.”

Castiel let a snigger out before he turned his stool back around, feigning a coy side-glance. “You really mean it?”

Dean’s concerned expression melted into fond exasperation. Ash burst out laughing.

“Damn, this kid got you going. Nice one, Cassie boy.” Ash held up his hand for a high-five. Castiel chuckled, smacking Ash’s hand.

“You two are both assholes.” Dean attempted to pout.

Ash pointed his thumbs at himself. “You better tell this asshole what your drinking or you’re gonna go without until I make it back around.”

“Double Jack on the rocks.”

“Do I hear a please?” Ash leaned forward tauntingly.

“Not from me, you don’t”

Ash laughed and poured the whiskey anyway. “It was a pleasure to re-meet you Cas, and I hope you enjoy this dick-bag’s company.”

Castiel nodded. “I certainly will. Nice to meet you, too.”

Ash turned with a flippant salute, returning to his duty.

“You are one sneaky son of a bitch,” Dean smirked.

“I think you mean satirical genius,” Castiel remarked, cool as a cucumber.

“You’re right. That’s exactly what I meant,” Dean rolled his eyes. “How has no one snatched you up yet, Mr. Genius?”

“Guess I haven’t found a person who truly appreciates my majesty.”

“Really?”

Dean had gone from teasing to surprise. Castiel sobered a bit. He hadn’t meant anything by the comment, it just sort of came out.

“I mean, not exactly. I haven’t really been in the dating scene since college, so it’s not like I’ve given anyone much of a chance.”

“College? Damn Cas, how long has that been? Four years?”

“Actually, I think it’s closer to seven. My last girlfriend and I broke up when I was twenty-one and I’m twenty-eight now, so… yeah. Seven years.”

“Seven y– Jeez, no wonder you were so uptight when I first met you.”

“I don’t see what the big deal is. You don’t have to be in a relationship, sexual or otherwise, to live a happy life. And I had a fling or two in between, I just decided that wasn’t really for me.”

“Yeah, I guess…”

Dean still seemed flabbergasted. Castiel chuckled. “It’s okay. I know a lot of people don’t feel the same way I do. I’m just not interested in a relationship unless it means something more than just a one-night stand. I’m looking for something more substantial, and I just haven’t had the time to invest in that.”

Dean looked at Castiel like he was a puzzle he couldn’t crack. “Huh. Do you still feel that way?”

“You mean, do I still want a more long-term relationship?”

“No, like you don’t have time to look for something like that.”

Castiel leaned back in his chair. “I haven’t thought about it in a while. My life has been changing a lot recently, but… I don’t know. If the right person came along, I probably wouldn’t say no to giving it a try.”

“Huh.”

Castiel couldn’t see how Dean reacted to this information, as he had turned his face to look down the bar. He couldn’t be sure why Dean was interested in the first place, and he dare not hope it was for the reason he thought. Castiel chose to change the subject.

“So how did you meet Ash?”

Dean turned back around to face Castiel. He liked that much better, especially when it was with a mischievous grin. “Oh, buckle your seatbelt, cuz this is one heck of a story.”

The pair passed another two hours just talking about everything that struck their fancy. They discovered they had both been avid D&D players in high school. Dean went into a dissertation about Renaissance festivals and the balance of accuracy versus functionality, which led to him mentioning honey mead. This started Castiel off on his love for bees. He agreed that if he ever managed to get his own hive, he would give some honey to Dean to try his hand at making his own mead. Dean talked about movies and Castiel talked about books and it was wonderful. Castiel hadn’t had a conversation like this in so long, he’d forgotten how fun it was. It looked like Dean was having fun too, which made the evening even more exceptional.

“I didn’t realize you restored classic cars,” Castiel prompted when the conversation lulled.

“It’s just a hobby, but a really fun one. In another life, I could have made one heck of a grease monkey.”

“I never would have guessed. Your hands always look impeccably clean.”

“Yeah, I use gloves whenever I can. Can’t have calluses building up when I’m working on humans most of the day.” Dean spun suddenly on his stool to face Castiel straight on. “Say, you haven’t seen my car, have you?”

Castiel raised an eyebrow and grinned at Dean’s enthusiasm. “No, I haven’t.”

“Well then.” Dean grabbed Castiel’s forearm and pulled him out of his seat. He dragged Castiel clumsily to the cash register where Ash was typing in orders. “Cash us out Ash, and Cas’ drinks are on me.”

“Dean, no, you don’t have to–”

“No time, Cas! You can’t live another second without seeing my baby!”

Castiel laughed, vowing he would pay Dean back at the next opportunity.

Ash returned their cards with a wish for them to return soon and Dean proceeded to drag Castiel, a little more gently this time, out the door. The air was cool, but not cold as they crossed the parking lot to the farthest end. Castiel spotted the car almost immediately, knowing this had to be the car Dean was so excited to show him.

“Wow,” Castiel breathed before Dean had even stopped tugging.

“Well, you pass.”

“Pass?” Castiel asked, perplexed.

“You get the Winchester seal of approval for showing the appropriate level of awe for my baby.”

Castiel chuckled and moved to stroke the hood of the beautiful black beast. He walked around, marveling at her condition. It was like she was bought from the dealer yesterday. “You clearly know how to take care of a car.”

“Sure do. One of the few things my dad had time to teach me when I was a kid. Sixty-seven Chevy Impala. It was my dad’s car, and he said he wouldn’t trust me with her unless I knew everything there was to know.”

“Thank you for showing me. She’s amazing.”

Dean scuffed his heel on the gravel, then looked up from under his eyelashes, chin tucked down a little. Castiel’s heart stuttered unexpectedly at the look. “You uh, wanna go for a ride?”

Castiel’s smile grew wide but then slipped with concern. “Are you okay to drive? We’ve been drinking for a while.”

“Oh yeah, I only had like two drinks. You kept me talking the whole time.”

Castiel supposed he was right. Now that he thought about it, maybe it was better to ask for a ride home anyway. He’d drunk more than Dean, even if it had been spread out longer. He trusted Dean to know his own limits. _What the heck,_ he thought.

“Sure, I’d love to go for a ride.”

Dean’s expression morphed to one of affected coolness. “Hop in and prepare yourself. Once you ride with me, nothing else will compare.” He winked.

“I have no doubt.” Castiel chuckled.

As soon as Dean started the car, it came as no surprise that Metallica began to play too loudly through the car’s old, crackly speakers. Dean hastily turned a dial on the stereo to a slightly more reasonable decibel and eyed Castiel with a self-conscious shrug. He pulled out into traffic with practiced ease. Castiel quickly learned that Dean, while a very skilled driver, was also a bit of a show-off. He sped down the straight city streets, dodging the few cars that were around at this hour. Castiel gripped his seatbelt with one hand and the door with the other when Dean swerved between two cars in adjacent lanes, one after the other. The sound of admittedly warranted honks could be heard as they flew on, causing Dean to let out a thrilled guffaw. Castiel joined him with a hysterical titter, which devolved into a fit of hilarity when he decided the danger had passed. Dean’s teeth flashed white in passing light’s, his infectious excitement permeating Castiel’s senses. They drove a couple miles, Dean eventually slowing his speed closer to a legal one and smoothly gliding around cars. They rolled down the windows, mixing the smells of the city with the attractive scent of the leather interior. Castiel could appreciate the Impala’s temperament now, feeling how she pulled the road beneath her. It was unlike any car he’d been in before, more akin to a ship sliding through water than wheels over asphalt. And the way Dean handled her– it was the same as everything else he did; precise and elegant.

They’d gone a fair distance; never saying a word to each other, just enjoying the company. It was only when they were nearly back to the bar when Castiel shocked himself awake by letting his head suddenly nod forward. He sat up and readjusted, taking in their surroundings. Dean chuckled and said, “Looks like someone needs to go to bed.”

“I suppose I should,” Castiel said drowsily.

“Maybe I should take you home rather than go get your car. It’s not safe to drive sleepy.”

Castiel was glad he didn’t have to ask. He didn’t want to impose, but he really didn’t feel like driving himself right now. “Thank you, Dean. I would really appreciate that.”

“Do you want a ride back to the bar in the morning? I don’t mind.”

Castiel let his eyes droop as he answered. “Thank you, but I don’t have anywhere to be tomorrow and I live close. I’ll just take the bus over there when it pleases me.”

Dean poked Castiel’s shoulder a couple times. “Don’t fall asleep yet, party animal, you gotta tell me where to go.”

Castiel grabbed the offending finger but kept his eyes defiantly closed. “Just drive… keep going this way, you’ll find it eventually.”

“Cas,” Dean said dangerously.

Castiel sighed with exasperation. “Fine. Fifth and Elm. Go straight another five blocks then turn left. It’s the apartment building with a tree on the sign.”

“Gotcha. You can snooze now if you want.” Dean said, a teasing lilt in his voice.

“Hey, I’ve had a busy day. You can’t blame me for being tired.” Castiel peered grumpily through squinting eyes at Dean’s smug countenance.

“You’re right. I’m sorry.” Dean patted Castiel’s shoulder this time, lingering just a little longer than Castiel thought should be normal. He wondered distractedly if Dean was especially touchy because of his profession or if he was always that way. Maybe the two were unrelated. Maybe Dean wasn’t especially touchy and it just seemed that way to Castiel because he wasn’t used to human contact. It was hard to tell.

It felt like mere seconds had passed when they arrived at Castiel’s apartment. Castiel was woken by the absence of the soothing rumble from the Impala. Outside his window, Castiel saw the familiar grey concrete of his apartment building. He turned to find Dean smiling softly at him. Suddenly he felt self-conscious. He couldn’t figure out why. Something about the way Dean was looking at him just made him feel… odd.

“Well, I better be going,” Castiel said quietly. “Thank you very much for the ride. Your car is amazing and it was really fun.”

“No problem, Cas. Any time.”

Dean’s arm rested casually over the back of the bench seat, close enough that Dean could have brushed his shoulder with his fingertips. Castiel found himself inexplicably wishing for that. Then he decided he was probably either too tired, too drunk, or a little too much of both to be in the presence of other human beings. Especially Dean.

Castiel gave the best smile he could under the circumstances. “See you soon.” Then he stepped out of the car, shutting the door carefully behind him.

“See you later. Sweet dreams, Cas.”

“You too.”

Castiel waved from the sidewalk as Dean drove away. He spared a look at his watch and balked at the time. It was 2:30 in the morning. It’s a good thing Castiel hadn’t been planning on going in to work tomorrow. He decided then and there that he would waste most of the day doing whatever he felt like. He had a sneaking suspicion he would be preoccupied with thoughts of a certain handsome masseur anyway.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, again :) hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I was hoping to have one or two more chapters posted by now, but you know how the holiday season goes. I ended up playing Dead of Winter and Resident Evil 5 instead. What can I say? I like zombies. I also wrote a bonus chapter that I will be posting when this story is finished which is the first two chapters from Dean's point of view. I don't usually like reading the same story from someone else's point of view, but I thought it was different enough to be worth it. At least to me. It's sort-of-but-not-really spoilery though, so that's why I'm not posting it now. Anyway, I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas or whatever it is you celebrate or don't celebrate. Happy new year!


	4. Chapter 4

Castiel and Dean fell into a sort of pattern. Castiel came in for his massage and Dean would casually ask what Castiel’s plans for the rest of the evening were. Castiel caught on pretty quickly to what he was doing. If he answered that he had no plans, at some point during the appointment Dean would ask if he would like to join him one place or another for a drink afterward. Sometimes it would work out that they would see Castiel’s coworkers, Ash Tray or not. Dean occasionally invited his friends too. 

One of his favorite nights was when Dean had invited his three best friends. He finally got to meet the infamous Sam, as well as Benny Lafitte, the co-owner of Stairway to Heaven, and Charlie Bradbury, Dean’s tabletop gaming buddy. He’d seen Benny in passing, but never officially met until then. By the end of the night, he felt like he had gained three friends himself. Sam enjoyed intellectual conversation but wasn’t deterred by the noise of the bar. Benny had stories to spare; he had lived a fascinating life, not always by choice. He was also not shy about embarrassing Dean to no end. Castiel bid them farewell with a promise to Charlie that he would join them soon for a game night.

Dean and Castiel always ended up being the last ones to stick around. Just one more drink, or one more round of pool. Castiel never would have anticipated that, but he could hardly help himself when Dean was so engaging. He only hoped Dean was enjoying himself as much as he was. 

That’s why it came as a surprise one night when Dean changed the pattern.

As always, Dean asked about his plans, and yet somehow it was different. Dean’s hands faltered where they were kneading his shoulders. As he was face down on the table, Castiel couldn’t see Dean’s face, but he could see his toes wiggle anxiously through his sneakers. 

“Balthazar is hosting poker at the Ash Tray. No gambling, of course. Or at least nothing worth gambling for. We’re playing for a twenty-five dollar Home Depot gift card.” Castiel huffed a laugh. “They gave it to Balth for being employee of the month.”

“Home Depot? Wouldn’t it make more sense to give you guys a Barnes and Noble gift card or something?”

“You would think that. I guess they figure we all get enough of books daily. Don’t know how they decided Home Depot was the next best option though. Balthazar clearly doesn’t want it.”

“Dude, if you can’t appreciate Home Depot, you haven’t been there with me.”

“I haven’t been at all, that I can recall.”

Dean gasped in astonishment. “Blasphemy!”

Castiel laughed. “Well, anyway you’re welcome to join us.”

“Actually, you go on ahead. I’ve got something to do tonight.”

It’s not the answer he was expecting. So much so that he lifted his head to look at Dean. To his confusion, Dean was blushing all the way to his ears. Responding to Castiel’s undoubtedly incredulous expression, Dean elaborated. 

“It’s not a big deal, just got a deadline on that car I’ve been working on.”

“Oh, okay,” Castiel said, putting his head back down in the doughnut pillow. He didn’t want to admit how disappointed he was that for the first time since this whole tradition started, Dean wouldn’t be joining him. Maybe he’d finally gotten tired of him. It was only a matter of time, he supposed. “You’ll be missed.”

“Sorry, buddy. Next time, definitely.”

Later that night around nine o’clock, they had just finished a hand of poker. Balthazar, Zachariah, Hael, and Raphael were the competitors. Castiel was currently losing miserably. He didn’t have much interest in the prize anyway, but the thing that really got him was Dean’s absence. He couldn’t figure it out. Everything seemed to be completely normal to him. He didn’t think he’d said or did anything offensive. It was completely confounding. The only conclusion he kept arriving at was that Dean really had grown bored of him. That was okay. Castiel had been fine before and nothing’s really changed. He was still here, with Balthazar and his coworker’s playing poker. It just… wasn’t the same without Dean.

“Hey, Cas!” Balthazar said loudly, snapping his fingers in front of Castiel’s face.

“What?” Castiel said, leaning away.

“It’s your turn. And you just flashed us all your cards.”

“Ugh. Well, I guess I fold.” He had a crap hand. No use trying to bluff now.

“You okay, mate? You know you don’t have to play if you don’t want.”

“No, I want to play.” Castiel insisted.

“If you say so.” Balthazar conceded. Castiel didn’t miss the look of concern though.

A hand or two later, Castiel’s chips dwindling pathetically, Balthazar broached the subject Castiel really couldn’t be less interested in discussing.

“Where is that beau of yours anyway, Cassie? He struck me as the sort who would love poker.”

“Said he was busy tonight,” Castiel said shortly.

“Aw. That’s a shame. Would have loved to show him a thing or two.” Castiel didn’t answer. Then Balthazar gasped. “That’s why you’re so bummed out tonight! Your charming boyfriend didn’t show!”

“He’s not my boyfriend.”

“But you want him to be,” Balthazar smirked.

Castiel’s face flushed with frustration. “Would you just play, Balthazar? It’s none of your business anyway.”

Balthazar’s gaze was fixed on some point beyond Castiel’s shoulder and his smirk grew into a toothy grin. Castiel’s brow scrunched in confusion and he just about turned to see what he was smiling about, but Balthazar grabbed his arm before he could.

“You’re right, Cassie. None of my business. Forget I said anything.”

That was surprisingly easy. Balthazar wasn’t one to let an opportunity to poke fun go to waste. Well, Castiel wasn’t going to complain. Maybe he was taking pity because he was losing so badly.

It wasn’t more than thirty seconds later that Castiel learned why Balthazar had let it go so easily. 

“Dean, what a pleasant surprise.”

Balthazar’s jovial greeting froze Castiel instantly. His back straightened, his eyebrows rose, and if he had dog ears, they would have perked straight up. Before he could catch himself, he twisted in his seat to find Dean not more than five paces away and coming closer.

“Hey guys, how’s the game?”

Zachariah piped up before anyone else could. “Lady luck is with me tonight,” he taps his tallest stack of chips boastfully, “but the same can’t be said for poor Cas over there.”

Dean glanced at the meager pile in front of Castiel. “Not your game, huh Cas?” 

“No, uh, just not my night,” Cas said, metaphorical tail wagging. 

Hael gestured to a seat next to her. “You want to join us, Dean? We’ll be here all night swapping chips. Hopefully away from Zach if I have anything to say about it.”

“Actually, can I borrow Cas for a second?” 

“Of course, he’s been moping all night without you.” Balthazar gripped.

“Balthazar!” Castiel whispered loudly. The dick bag only shrugged.

“Thanks, I just need a minute,” Dean assured. 

Castiel shook his head and sighed. He followed Dean far enough to be out of earshot of the table where Dean put his arm around Castiel’s shoulders, their backs turned to his companions.

“Were you really moping?” Dean grinned impishly.

“I will hit you.” Castiel threatened. 

Dean huffed but let it drop. “So listen… would you be disappointed if you didn’t get to finish the game tonight.”

“Oh god, take me away, please. I’m losing so badly I’ve lost all interest.” Castiel expected at least a smile for that, but Dean just bit his lip. And not in the way he might if he were containing a one.

“Yeah, it’s just… I’ve been wanting to show you something. For a while now. Would you come back to the Stairway with me?”

“Sure, Dean. Like I said, anything to abandon this miserable game.”

“Okay. Great. Awesome. Cool.” Dean didn’t seem pleased by the answer. In fact, he looked even more nervous. Castiel studied Dean’s expression until finally, Dean disrupted him. “You want to say goodbye?”

A few minutes later after disappointed groans all around, Castiel passed his remaining chips off to Hael (as she was in the next worst shape) and waved goodbye. He followed Dean to his car, still marveling at her beauty even now. The ride to the spa was short but tense. Castiel tried to suss out what the problem was without breaking the silence and without staring. He wasn’t sure how successful he was with the latter. It seemed Dean didn’t want to talk yet, but whatever his deal was, Castiel vowed that he would be open and listen.

Dean unlocked the doors. It was eerie to be here in the dark. Castiel supposed that was true of any place you were used to seeing in the light. Dean didn’t bother turning on any lights. There was one on down the hall of private rooms that spilled from Dean’s usual massage room. And upon further observation, Castiel noticed a second light coming from beneath a door farther down. There couldn’t possibly be someone else here, could there?

Dean led Castiel to the open room and gestured for him to take a seat. Out of habit, Castiel sat on the massage table rather than the chair in the corner. Dean did not sit. He shut the door and looked at the floor with a frown of concentration.

“Dean, are you okay?” Castiel was worried for his friend. He had been more than happy to see him after he had convinced himself Dean didn’t want to spend time together anymore. But this felt bigger than that. 

“Yeah, sorry, I just… don’t know where to start.” He huffed a nervous breath of air. 

“It’s okay, Dean, whatever it is. Take your time.”

Dean leaned against the door for a while, looking like a cornered mouse. Castiel gave him some time, then stood and reached out to grasp his arm, just like Dean did when their positions were reversed.

“I’m here, Dean.” That seemed to do the trick. Dean sighed still looking scared, but more relaxed than before. 

“Okay, here it goes. A couple of years ago, a friend of mine who also happened to be a client came to me with… an unusual request.”

“What was the request?” Castiel asked when he didn’t offer more.

“I’ll get to that,” Dean said, turning his gaze to the floor again. “So at first, I thought this ‘request’ was weird and probably not appropriate for me to do. I was worried about my job, not to mention Benny and the business. Anyway, the point is, we talked about it and came up with a deal to make it safe for everyone.”

_ Safe? Deals? _ Castiel’s alarm bells were going off now. He wasn’t worried about his own safety, never with Dean. But he was worried that Dean had gotten himself into some kind of trouble. Castiel squeezed Dean’s arm reassuringly.  He took a deep breath and continued.

“I called my friend and said I’d do it, but only after hours and only if I had her written consent. We’re friends, but you can never be too careful.”

“Okay, Dean, what in the world could your friend have asked you to do that would require consent papers?”

Dean grimaced. “Maybe it’s better if I just show you.” He hung his head a little and turned to open the door. Castiel, feeling bold and concerned, slipped his hand down Dean’s forearm to grasp his hand. Dean stopped and looked at their clasped hands, then up to Castiel’s face. The warm smile he found there seemed to give Dean courage, so he pulled them down the hallway to the closed door with the light leaking out.

“Don’t freak out, okay?”

“I’m not sure I can make any promises when you say it like that.”

Dean simply nodded. The door opened. Castiel was confused.

It didn’t look any different from the other rooms except that it was painted a dark purple instead of green. There was a black padded table like all the other rooms, two actually, now that Castiel could see around the door frame. There were cabinets, a sink, trash can… it all looked the same.

“Uh… I don’t understand,” Castiel uttered carefully. “It’s just another massage room, isn’t it?”

“Look closer. What’s different about the tables?”

Castiel took a second look. The tables were shaped a little differently. They looked like they were sectioned off in such a way that the parts of the tables could be arranged in different positions and there were… Oh. There were straps. Restraints. Leg stocks.

Castiel just breathed for a few seconds. Then asked flatly, “Is this a sex dungeon?”

A second of shocked silence passed, then Dean bent over with uproarious laughter, holding his middle like it would burst. Castiel just watched, bemused. He didn’t think it was a far stretch; what else would you use those tables for? 

After he caught his breath, Dean rested his hand on Castiel’s shoulder and shook his head. “Well, it is sexy for some people, but I think this is pretty far from a dungeon.” He burst into another fit of giggles. Castiel hoped that meant some of the tension had dissipated. But now, he was really curious.

“If it’s not for bondage, then what is it for?”

“Bondage is a component, sometimes. But this room is actually dedicated to tickling.”

Castiel frowned so deeply he thought his face might break from the pressure. “Uuuuh. Come again?”

“My friend asked me to tickle her. Just said she liked it, but felt weird asking anyone for it. I guess she figured what I do normally was close enough.”

“...Tickling.”

“Yeah.” Dean rubbed the back of his neck, the nerves coming back with a vengeance. “After that, I discovered she wasn’t the only one who wanted to be tickled. She told her friends, and they told theirs, and eventually, I had my own little side gig. Except I don’t ask for payment. It’s just something I do in my spare time.”

Castiel didn’t know how to feel. He was baffled, embarrassed to be talking about tickling, relieved that this was all relatively tame. Regardless, he needed to know a few things.

“Why? What do people get out of this?”

Dean shrugged thoughtfully. “It's a turn-on for some. Unfortunately, people aren’t always comfortable sharing it with their partners. I try to encourage those people to talk it out with their together, but some don't have steady partners or don't want to freak out a one night stand. So they come to me instead. I have couples that come together too. For most people, I think it's a release. It's crazy and out of control. I give them something they can't get anywhere else. But, just so you know, this is a no-sex zone. Only tickling. It is where I work after all. That’s just not okay.”

“I see,” Castiel said evenly. “What do  _ you _ get out of this?”

“Well, that’s sort of complicated.” Dean wrapped his arms around his chest, perhaps holding himself together. “At first it was just helping out a friend. Strictly clinical. But it didn’t take long to realize how fun it was.” A small smile finally bloomed across Dean’s face again. “I mean, I’m an older brother. It was fun tickling Sammy growing up until he got big enough to retaliate. Serves me right, I guess,” Dean smirked. “But this was different. I don’t know how to explain it. The dynamic isn’t the same. I like making people feel good; It’s the same reason I became a masseur. For some people, this is what makes them feel good. And I love seeing people when they're tickled. It's one of the few instances you can't help but react honestly. ”

“Is it… sexual to you?”

“No, no. I mean, I would  _ totally _ be down to try it with a romantic partner but… well, I haven’t had a long-term relationship for quite a while.”

Another intriguing confession. This was a lot of information to take in. All these things were slowly starting to come together into a concept he could finally absorb. Only one question remained.

“Why are you telling me all this?”

Dean swallowed, his hands clenched in fists. “I don’t ever do this. People come to me; I don’t ever invite anyone into this room. But you’re s– you're different. I’d like to think that we’ve become pretty close over the last few months. I can tell you that I’ve enjoyed every moment of it more than you know. To tell you the truth, the first time I saw you, I was thrilled I was the one who got to work with you. I could tell how stressed you were and that I could make you feel so good. That’s my favorite kind of client. Then it turned out you were awesome to hang out with and funny and smart... And if you agree to let me do this for you too, well… I’d be tickled.” Dean smiled an uncertain smile, his chin dipped. Then he quickly became very serious. “You can see why it is important for you to know this is entirely voluntary. No contracts, no recordings, no obligations. It's just for fun. Just you and me indulging a little. If you're uncomfortable at any time, I'll stop immediately, and you can walk out that door. No hard feelings.”

Castiel wasn’t really surprised. He couldn’t really think of another reason. But he blushed anyway. His heart was beating faster and was having trouble keeping his breaths even. This was not something he ever would have thought about under any circumstance. Tickling was not something he associated with feeling good. It was horrible and traumatic; at least it was when he was little. And yet, seeing Dean looking so hopeful and anxious… It made him want to reconsider.

“This is all very…” Castiel hesitated, looking for the right word, “unexpected.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry. I just really wanted to share this with you.” Dean looked pleadingly at Castiel.

Castiel wasn’t worried about knowing this about Dean. This big secret isn’t that weird in the grand scheme, and relatively harmless. But  _ participating? _ That was another matter entirely. 

“So… are you good?”

Dean’s lips slowly lifted into a cocky grin. “Like I said when we first met: when it comes to the human body, I’m an expert. Let me put it this way: I once made a man who genuinely believed he wasn't ticklish weep with laughter. That's how good I am.”

“Seriously?”

Dean huffed a laugh. “Yeah. Ask Benny.”

Castiel scrunched his face in confusion, then as realization dawned he asked, “Benny let you…?”

“Yep.”

The involuntary picture that conjured was bizarre, and then suddenly something else altogether. Something that made the pit of his stomach warm and his face even warmer. Castiel didn’t think he’d blushed so hard in his life. 

“So, uh,” Castiel continued shakily, “Is that what you’d… do to me… if I said yes?”

Dean let out a rush of air, his smile so bright. Before Castiel had a chance to inform him he had in fact  _ not _ said yes yet, Dean shook his head. 

“No. Not unless you wanted me to. No, with you I’d do something nice and easy. No restraints, no tools, just us. There’s something called ASMR.”

“I’ve heard of it.” Castiel interrupted.

“Cool. Well, this isn’t exactly the same, because it has nothing to do with sound, but I call it an ASMR massage. It simulates the feeling. If I had my choice, that’s what we’d do first. For some people, it's relaxing and fun. For others, it tickles a little bit, but usually not even bad enough to try to dodge it. And still others, well… it really gets their engines going, you know what I mean?” Dean chuckled uneasily.

“And the instant I say stop–”

“I stop. Whether it’s just for a little break or forever. Easy as pie.”

Castiel’s mind was in turmoil. This was clearly something important to Dean, given how nervous he was and how long he had waited to reveal it. Castiel wasn’t comfortable, but he hadn’t been comfortable when he came in for that first massage either. Look where that brought him. Dean had come to mean so much to him. It was clear Dean trusted him a lot to expose himself this way. And Castiel trusted Dean too. 

“It’s okay, Cas, you don’t have to decide right now. You can take your time–”

“What would happen first?  _ If _ I said yes.” Castiel looked meaningfully, right into Dean’s eyes. Dean rubbed his chin obliviously.

“Well, I guess I’d ask you to take your shirt off and lie on the table.”

Castiel slowly began to pull his button-down shirt from where it was tucked and undid the buttons, never breaking eye contact. Dean’s eyebrows rose and a small, relieved smile graced his face. Dean closed the door blindly, always watching Castiel. When he had his shirt off, Dean walked over and took his hand, leading him to one of the tables. Dean pulled a pillow from some hidden space and placed it on the table uttering, “face down,” before he let go of Castiel’s hand.

Castiel situated himself, hugging the pillow beneath him, while Dean pulled out the “arms” of the table. From beneath, he pulled two black cylinders like bicycle handles, one on each side.

“Those are for you to hold onto. If you want.” Dean said, voice soothing as always.

“Then what would happen?”

“If you said yes?” Dean chuckled. “I’d tell you to relax and I’d let you get used to my hands.”

Those hands appeared at Castiel’s shoulder blades, causing him to jump a little. He quickly relaxed though as Dean slowly stroked his palms all the way down his back. It wasn’t nearly as firm as a massage, but it certainly didn’t tickle. It sort of felt like Dean was petting him. Castiel breathed in and out, feeling the weight of Dean’s palms rise and fall with him.

Gradually Dean’s touches changed. His palms lifted so it was only his fingers, and it became lighter and lighter, and yet somehow more and more pervasive. Shivery little tingles danced across his skin, radiating from where Dean touched so gently. He stroked up the length of Castiel’s back quickly, then came down slowly. Every time he glided back up to his shoulders, Castiel gasped at the intensified shock. Dean hovered at his neck then stroked in an s-curve all the way to his pant line. He dipped his delicate touches over Castiel’s sides, making him roll to avoid it. All the while, Castiel wore a surprised smile, not feeling forced to laugh, but knowing he could if he wanted to.

“How does that feel?” Dean asked in the same tone he always did when he was trying something new with Castiel. It was reassuring.

“You– you’re barely touching me.” He said, voice quivering.

“Yep.”

“But I feel it  _ everywhere, _ ” Castiel answered in awe. “I feel it in my toes, my head, my fingers.”

“Perfect.”

Castiel’s muscles twitched constantly, wanting instinctively to avoid the electric touches, and consciously straining to permit them. This was so different from anything he’d ever experienced. Sure, it wasn’t serious tickling, but it was close. There was a kind of thrill in allowing this to happen. Choosing to let Dean touch him this way felt exciting and powerful. And the thought that at any moment, Dean could choose to really dig in there with his strong, untiring fingers... A violent shudder rocked through his body.

“You okay?” Dean asked, slowing his touches.

“Yes,” Castiel said breathlessly. “Don’t stop.” 

Dean’s fingers continued their incessant teasing, up and down, left and right, over his shoulders and ghosting over his neck. Then the patterns began to evolve ever so slightly. Dean trailed his fingers down to Castiel’s waist, dipping into the space created by his hip bones. Instead of immediately moving to a new destination, his fingers lingered there and rippled, maddeningly gentle. Castiel snorted and jerked his arms from under the pillow to defend the sensitive spot, but Dean had already stopped.

“Are you still okay?”

Castiel could hear the hope in his voice. “Just a second,” he said. He caught his breath for a moment then reached under the table for the two black handles. He gripped them tightly before nodding his head in the pillow and looking up to Dean with a smile. “Okay, I’m good.”

Dean grinned back, biting his lip. It was awfully cute. Castiel hissed and squeezed his eyes shut as the fingers returned. Dean started his original pace but quickly began swirling his fingers in various places, staying as long as he thought Castiel would tolerate it. He swept his fingers in an elliptical pattern over that same spot on Castiel’s hip. Castiel twisted each time it dipped down, finally breaking down and giggling. But he didn’t ask to stop. He held his grip on those handles and let it happen. Every new spot renewed Castiel’s quiet laughter. Soft fingers fluttered near the points of his shoulder blades making Castiel wiggle and hunch his shoulders. Castiel yelped when Dean started drawing circles in the dips at his lumbar. He rolled to dislodge the fingers, but Dean just followed him. Every so often Dean would ease up and return to the gentle petting they started with. Castiel appreciated the break and hummed his approval. 

Finally, when Dean had spent just a little too long brushing over the edges of Castiel’s armpits, Castiel cracked. His arms snapped down and he rolled to the side, facing Dean.

“Okay! Enough, please, I need to rest.” Castiel gasped through his chuckles.

Dean smiled and sat on the edge of the table, patting Castiel’s hand affectionately. “You did great, Cas. How do you feel?”

“Exhausted. Like a bowl of Jello.” His smile broadened. “Happy.”

“Awesome. Me too.”

Dean went to stand again, presumably to give Castiel some space, but Castiel grasped his hand.

They looked into each other’s eyes. Castiel saw joy there and trust. He wanted to pull Dean down and snuggle him. All these giddy feelings were still bouncing around inside and he wanted to share it with Dean. But in his dazed condition, he couldn’t figure out how, or whether he should. So he just stared, happy to look.

Dean squeezed Castiel’s hand. “Can I get you some water? You look pretty wiped out.”

“Okay.” Castiel let Dean’s fingers slip away. He still hadn’t sat up by the time Dean was back.

“You can’t drink this lying down.” Dean pointed out.

“Obviously. But I’m afraid there’s a problem.”

“What is it?”

“I don’t think I can move.”

Dean laughed. “Just wait ‘til I really get going. I’ll have to carry you out of here princess style.”

Castiel snorted, finally pushing up on his elbows. “God, I hope not.”

Dean handed him a cup and rubbed Castiel’s back soothingly. “Aw, you don’t think I can do it?”

“Oh, I have no doubt you can, but I don’t think I’d survive the embarrassment.”

“Eh, it’s late, no one would see.”

“You just really want to carry me princess style, don’t you?” Castiel smirked over his cup.

“Hey, watch it, pal, I know all your weaknesses.” He poked Castiel in the side chuckling when he bent like a noodle.

“All of them? You only touched my back.” 

“What do you think I’ve been doing for the last four months?”

Castiel gulped.

Dean brought Castiel his shirt and set it next to him. “Finish your water and I’ll take you to your car.”

“Actually, would you mind giving me a ride home? They don’t give licenses to Jello for a reason.”

“Oh my God, Cas.” Dean cracked up again, shaking his head. “Yes, I’ll give you a ride.”

“Thank you, Dean. And thank you for sharing this with me. It was… enlightening.”

“So, hypothetically, if you said yes…” Dean trailed off tauntingly.

Castiel sniggered. “Mhm?”

“Would you be interested in doing this again?”

Castiel paused, pretending to consider. “I think there’s a definite possibility.”

Dean smiled at him so beautifully. An overwhelming sense of happiness washed over him, and the feeling didn’t seem likely to fade. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As it turns out, definitely going to be longer than four chapters. I'd say you can count on at least two more, but who knows. We'll see how things go.
> 
> This was the chapter that inspired the entire story. I'd had parts of it written from the beginning. I hope you readers like it, and it whet's your whistle for more! <3
> 
> ALSO NOTE THE RATING CHANGE. It's not there yet obviously, but it's probably headed there...


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning, Castiel woke up completely unrested. He hardly got a wink of sleep. Something had been stirred within him and it wouldn’t rest. He stared at the ceiling for hours, thinking of Dean’s hands; the way they always touched him, the way they teased him for the first time. Then he stared at the wall for a few more hours thinking of his smile when he said goodbye last night; the way he joked and the sound of his laugh when it moved him to bend from the force of it. Then he spent some time with his eyes closed and all he could see were Dean’s eyes, his freckles, his golden-brown hair. A couple of hours of restless snoozing brought Castiel to one conclusion: he wanted more.

They were good friends now. He was confident in that. If last night wasn’t proof of that, he didn’t know what was. Dean said he didn’t invite people to partake in that… activity. But was that just because they were good friends? Would Dean be interested in more? He wasn’t sure. He had to feel Dean out, so to speak. It was too early to call, so Castiel decided to take the shower he was too tired to take the night before and then ate a light breakfast and attempted to read until it was reasonable to call. He waited as long as he could stand it.

The phone rang three times before Dean cleared his throat on the other end of the line and croaked, “Hullo?”

“I woke you. I’m sorry.”

“Cas? Hey, no worries, I was up…” Dean trailed off into a yawn.

Castiel chuckled with irresistible fondness. “Of course you were.”

“So what’s up? Unusual for you to call this early.”

“Yes, I was just wondering what you were up to today.” Castiel tapped his lip unconsciously.

“Nothing much, I was just planning on getting some work done on the car and do some chores.”

“That reminds me,” Castiel said, distracted for a moment, “Were you really working on the car before you came to the bar last night?”

“Ah, you caught me. No, I was mostly freaking out about… you know. Spent a little time getting things ready, but the rest was just psyching myself up.”

Castiel was still not sure why Dean had been so nervous. Although he supposed that if there was something he liked that some people found strange, he might be afraid of sharing it too. Even for him, though he saw no harm in what they had shared, it was still a bit strange to think about.

“I’m sorry you were so stressed about it.” Castiel offered.

“No problem, Cas, worked out in the end didn’t it?”

Castiel smiled. “It did.” They both fell silent for a moment, and then before it could get weird, Castiel continued. “About today… would you have time to have lunch somewhere?”

“Lunch?” Dean asked sounding a little confused.

“Yes, lunch. You know, the midday meal?”

“Okay, smart ass,” Dean ribbed, “Where do you want to go?”

“Anywhere. Where ever you want.”

“How do you feel about hot dogs?”

“I appreciate them to the highest degree.”

“Heh. Wanna meet me at the Dog Haus on Fifth? I’m feeling like something delicious and bad for me.”

“Sounds great,” Castiel said.

“Awesome. See you there at noon?”

“Noon it is. Have a good morning, Dean.”

“You too.”

And with that, Dean ended the call. Castiel pocketed his phone and groaned shortly after in irritation. Now he had to wait another four hours. Why hadn’t he asked Dean to breakfast?

 

Castiel showed up thirty minutes early. He was unsettled in every respect. He was anxious to find out what Dean’s intentions were and if he would be open to a relationship. On the other hand, he had no idea how he was going to broach the subject. After four hours of half-hearted cleaning and pondering, he had come up with very little; only that he was out of practice. If he had been out of the social scene for a long time, then he had been out of the dating scene for even longer. So, he resolved to just wing it. There was nothing else for it.

Dean walked into the restaurant right on time. Castiel stood up with his coke to stand in line with him.

“Hey.” Dean greeted casually.

“Hello.”

“I’m starving. This was a good idea; glad you could join me.”

“Me too. The food smells delicious.”

“Damn straight. Whatcha gonna have?”

The small talk came easily. When they had gotten through the line, they took their seats. Dean sighed, making Castiel look up at him.

“Cas, is everything okay? I know what happened yesterday kind of came out of nowhere. If you called me here to tell me you changed your mind or I crossed a line, that’s fine.”

“No, Dean, that’s not it at all. I enjoyed last night. Very much.”

“Really? You sure?”

“I’m positive.” Castiel smiled reassuringly, genuinely.

“Good. That’s good.” He sighed again, relieved this time. “So what’s the deal then? Not that I’m complaining; far from it, but I don’t think we’ve ever had lunch before. And you’ve hardly ever called me.”

What was he supposed to say to that? He couldn’t just come out and say it. That was too embarrassing. No, he had to find a way to be subtle about it. He decided to give Dean a partial truth.

“I just wanted to spend some more time with you.” He looked across the table with concern. “Is that… okay?”

“Of course! That’s more than okay. I’m thrilled you called.” Dean gave him a big smile. “I was just worried is all.”

Castiel let his shoulders relax. Dodged that one. And Dean said he was _thrilled_ he called. Castiel put a mental tally in the He Likes Me column. If enough evidence built to outweigh his insecurity, he would ask Dean to be with him.

After hotdogs, they trolled around the strip mall, stopping at an electronics store, a pet store to look at the animals, and a specialty shop that sold almost exclusively bee products. Castiel got very distracted there, and made a note to return when he was not on a mission the way he was today. They also visited a game shop that Dean and Charlie frequented. That was a fun stop. Dean’s eyes lit up with excitement at all games, figures, and cards. He donned a brown, pointy wizard hat halfway through and talked like a wizened old man to all the staff and befuddled customers, which had Castiel clutching his stomach to hold in the laughter at times. At some point Castiel realized he had stopped tallying his evidence. He was distressed at first, but when he considered what a fun time they had together, he felt nothing but warm affection. He supposed that settled it. He would tell him. Now the only question was how?

~♡~

This was the best day ever, Dean thought. Last night had been everything he had hoped it would be, and Cas hadn’t run away. He had actually wanted to spend more time together. Making him laugh at the Wizard’s Chest was a definite highlight. The way his cheeks rounded with mirth and he covered his mouth fruitlessly to hide his adorable smile took Dean’s breath away. He loved finding new ways to do that.

They were aimlessly browsing a bookstore, specifically the western section when Castiel pointed out a thick hardcover book with navy binding.

“I worked on this one. The author is one of the easiest to work with. I also helped design the cover.”

“Really?” Dean asked, intrigued. He pulled it off the shelf as Castiel nodded. The dust cover was a silhouette of two men and a woman by a radiant orange campfire, the sky glowing blue with the last light of sunset, stars shining in the darkest part. The title was written in a loopy white scroll that matched the stars.  “ _Fate of the Cinders._ Poetic title for a western.”

“Yes. It’s quite a poetic book too. Though, I believe the best westerns are poetic in some fashion. After all, cowboys are known for their epic ballads, are they not?”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Cowboys are definitely epic. And sexy.” Dean winked.

Cas sniggered. “I prefer romantic.”

Dean tilted his head in agreement. “Yeah.”

Dean continued to gaze at him even as Cas continued browsing. It seemed like it had been so long since he had spent a day like this. Just spending time with someone he cared about with no purpose or agenda. If Dean wasn’t careful, he could trick himself into believing they were together. There was no reason not to be, really. Cas just didn’t seem to be picking up what he was putting down. A few of the times he had driven Cas home after a long night, he almost expected to be invited in, but it never happened. Maybe he needed to be more heavy-handed about it. He should just ask the guy out point blank. This was practically a date already. The two of them alone, talking about romantic cowboys. Anyone with an outsider’s perspective would probably assume they were already a couple.

He and Castiel walked out of the bookstore a while later, Dean with a copy of _Fate of the Cinders_ tucked under his arm _._ The sky had started to turn orange with dusk.

“Oh no,” Castiel breathed, stopping in his tracks.

“What’s the matter?” Dean asked, reaching instinctually for Cas’ arm but stopping short.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to keep you this late. You had things to do.”

Dean shook his head with a smile. He didn’t care one bit that he hadn’t gotten a single thing done today. Every moment with Cas was time well spent. “Don’t be sorry. I had way more fun with you than I would have doing that other crap. Seriously.”

“Yeah, but that stuff was important.”

Dean shrugged. “Eh, not really. Still got tomorrow, after all.”

“I guess you’re right. But even so, I should let you go. I’ve monopolized enough of your time today.” Castiel said, brow drawn up with apologetic concern.

Dean’s heart sank. He wasn’t ready to say goodbye. Honestly, he wanted Cas to remain longer than he was probably willing. If Cas really wanted to go home, then Dean wouldn't stop him. But if he just wanted to leave for Dean’s sake, he would have to convince him otherwise.

“You don’t have to go.” Dean said, trying to imply that he wanted him to stay without saying out loud. “I don’t really feel like doing any chores tonight, so it’s not like I'll be getting anything done. It's a nice evening and I want to enjoy it.” Dean secretly added _with you_ to the end of that statement. Castiel just kept gazing at him, so openly and yet cautious. “If you’re tired or want to go home, I understand–”

“No!” Castiel exclaimed suddenly. Dean raised an eyebrow. “I mean, I’m probably not going to do much either… if _you_ want to stay.” Castiel looked away bashfully.

“Then let’s hang out a little longer. I don’t mind.”

“Okay,” Castiel said, a small smile gracing his features that made Dean’s heart melt. “So, what should we do now?” Castiel asked, much happier now.

They had kind of run out of shops in this area, and Dean was starting to get tired of window-shopping anyway. There was a movie theater not too far from here, or there were always bars. But there was one thing he knew he would always want to do the most. Did he dare suggest it again so soon…?

“Actually,” Dean reached out and brushed the back of Castiel’s hand with his fingertips tenderly and continued slowly, “Would you be interested in another special massage? I uh, have some ideas.”

Castiel’s jaw twitched and his eyes got wider. Dean was about to rescind the offer and recommend a movie instead, but then Cas beat him to it.

“Yes. Yes, let’s do that.”

Castiel gripped his hand with an urgent squeeze, the excitement unmistakable in his eyes. Dean chuckled and squeezed back.

“Okay, let’s go.”

They drove separately to Stairway, but the nervousness from yesterday was replaced with giddy anticipation, at least for Dean. He hoped that was the case for Cas. He unlocked the doors just as Castiel was pulling up. When Cas got out, they didn’t say anything to each other, but the shy smile on his lips was enough to reassure Dean. He took Castiel’s wrist and led him through the dark building, feeling along the hall until he came to the right door. He flipped on the light and ushered a blushing Cas in.

Castiel turned around and asked, “So, what are these ideas of yours?”

“Let’s see,” Dean mused, tapping his chin, “How brave are you feeling?”

Castiel rubbed his arm and smiled crookedly, “Pretty brave, I guess.”

“What do you say to just a little bit of bondage?”

Castiel paled. “Uh, I don’t know...”

“Don’t let the word scare you. It wouldn’t be much worse than last time, you’d just have your hands tied down. I’d even let your legs stay free to kick me in the gut if I get any funny ideas.” Dean waggled his eyebrows. It had the intended effect; Cas huffed a nervous laugh.

“Just my hands?”

“Yep. And if you don’t like it, we’ll stop right away, just like last time. I’m not having fun if you’re not having fun.”

Castiel took a deep breath then looked Dean in the eye. “Okay, I’ll try it. Do you want my shirt off again?”

“If that’s okay with you,” Dean nodded.

Castiel removed his shirt and Dean admired his pale form for the hundredth time. He never lost his appreciation for all that beautiful skin. Dean directed him to lie on his back this time. He wanted a full view of his face for this. Carefully, Dean secured the padded restraints around Castiel’s wrists. He petted the soft skin of the forearm bared to him, causing Cas to shiver. Dean grinned, and Cas grinned back.

“You ready?”

“Y-yes.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be gentle.”

“In this case, I can’t tell if that’s a threat or a promise,” Castiel snarked.

Dean let out a hardy laugh, “Maybe it’s a little of both.” He went over to one of the cabinets where he kept his arsenal of tools. In one of the lowest boxes, he fished around until he found what he was looking for: a long brown flight feather. He locked eyes with Cas and drew the delicate instrument between his fingers. “This too scary for you?”

“Tch. I’m not afraid of a feather.”

Dean contained a chuckle, seeing the apprehension plainly on Cas’ face. “Good, you shouldn’t be.” He walked back to the table and placed a hand over Cas’ thumping heart. “Just relax. I’ve got you.”

The tension in Castiel’s shoulders eased marginally, so Dean decided to end the anticipation. He began at Castiel’s clavicle and drew the broad side of the feather down the length of his torso, the soft _hhhfff_ of the feather on skin flooding his ears in the quiet room. He twitched all over at the initial touch but gasped and relaxed again as Dean continued. It spanned more than half the width of Castiel’s chest. He passed the feather back and forth over his abdomen, making Castiel sigh delightfully. When he passed over his nipples, Castiel’s breath hitched and it was very hard for him not to linger a very long time there. He consoled himself that he had plenty more fun spots to explore.

When Dean moved on to his arms, Castiel started twitching and puffing barely-there giggles every once in a while. Dean decided to be a little more devious and repositioned the feather so the tip now grazed the skin. Cas’ knees jerked up on reflex but he put them back down. He twisted and his fists clenched, but he did not tell Dean to stop. He swirled the feather in little curly-ques at the elbow and just above the armpit where he knew the skin was thinnest. Castiel’s eyes screwed shut, the skin wrinkling all around them with well-defined laugh lines. His gums were bared in a giant grin, hissing and gasping laughter pouring through his clenched teeth. Dean felt like he was glowing from the inside just at the sight of it. So perfect and raw and human.

Dean moved his flicking feather to Castiel’s neck and ears, finally cracking Castiel’s resolve.

“Gah! Deh-ean!”

“What’s the matter? Sensitive ears?”

“Ack, nohoho!”

“Ho-ho, I beg to differ.”

Castiel shook his head and scrunched his shoulders in an attempt to crush the feather, but Dean always dodged. When he had had enough of his rebellion, Dean gently held Castiel’s head aside, exposing his weakness.

“Dean, no!”

Dean slowed his assault, only barely brushing, “Do you want me to stop?”

Castiel looked Dean in the eye, then looked away, giggling softly and not saying anything.

Dean chuckled mischievously, “Well then.” He dove back in without preamble, tickling behind his ear, up and down his neck, caressing the shell of his ear and grazing his cheek. He drank in the sight, every minuscule spasm of expression. If he saw even the slightest hint of discomfort, he backed off, slowing or moving to a less sensitive area. He knew that this was out of Castiel's comfort zone, so he did everything he could to be sure it stayed on the right side of exciting and fun. Gradually, Cas’ laughter became more high-pitched, almost squeaky.

“Ah! Ha ha, okay! I neehehed a br- aha break!”

Dean stopped, setting the feather down and soothing away the tickles with strokes of his hand. Castiel’s skin was warm and inviting, so soft and flushed from laughter. Castiel panted, a smile lingering on his face.

“How are you holding up?” Dean asked.

“Just keep doing that,” Cas sighed.

“This?” Dean caressed Cas cheek all the way back into his hair.

“Mhm,” Cas hummed, eye’s closed in bliss.

Damn. Did Cas know how adorable he was being?

Dean continued petting as long as he dared. He still had plans and they hadn’t even gotten to the good part yet. He couldn’t get distracted by Castiel’s sweet requests.

“Okay, You’ve had enough rest I think. Let’s get you giggling again.”

Cas scoffed. “I do not giggle,” he firmly asserted.

“I think your ears are broken. Those were definitely giggles earlier.” Dean taunted.

Castiel was about to retort, but Dean picked up the feather again. Castiel chose instead to stare wide-eyed at it and button his lips.

This time Dean brought the feather to flutter at the top of his ribs. Cas rolled a little and the air went out of his lungs instantly. Dean teased the feather across his chest circling each nipple a couple times making him grunt with the effort of containing himself.

“Come on Cas, let’s hear ‘em. I’m gonna prove it to you.”

“Mmh! Ss-stop teasing,” Cas grumbled without much heat.

“Aw, but that’s half the fun!”

Dean switched the feather to his left hand and dragged it toward his belly button. Meanwhile, he set the fingers of his right hand to ripple just below his armpit where the feather had been.

Cas jumped and nearly kneed Dean in the head crying out and devolving into those sweet giggles. Dean dodged with a _whoa!_  continuing his tender assault. He had the feather circling the rim of Cas’ navel now, lingering at the lowest point where he seemed the most reactive, then dipping back into the little depression. His right hand followed no particular pattern, tickling softly up and down Cas’ arms, brushing over his clavicles and neck. All the while, he gazed at Castiel’s face adoringly, looking for any sign of genuine distress and finding none.

“What did I tell you, huh? Can’t say you don’t giggle now.”

“Fuhuhuck you-hoo!”

“Oo, swearing? Naughty, naughty, Cas.”

Dean dropped his feather again and brought both hands to his belly, spreading his fingers so they covered nearly the entire area. He made grabby motions that just grazed the skin. Castiel cried out, arching his back, then bringing his knees up protectively. Dean removed his hands, but Cas continued to laugh, the pitch lowering as he calmed. Slowly, he dropped his knees again, and Dean returned, grabbing at his tummy. Castiel’s laughter renewed and Dean continued to briefly tickle him, just for Cas to curl up in a ball over and over again, his laughter jumping higher with every attack. Dean bit his lip, indulging in the swell of affection he felt in this moment. He would do this every day if Cas would let him.

When Cas’ legs were down, Dean boldly climbed atop the table.

“Wha- what are you doing?” Castiel gasped catching his breath.

Dean swung a leg over his lap, sitting down, trapping his errant legs. “Can’t defend yourself now, can you?”

“Dean, nohoho!” Castiel laughed.

“I’m not even touching you.” Dean teased, wiggling his fingers.

Cas couldn’t answer. He was too busy laughing and debating whether he wanted to close his eyes or watch the approach. He didn’t have to wait long. Dean rested his fingers at the top of his belly, fluttering so gently, then arcing down to draw sweeping circles at his sides. Castiel squealed with laughter. He bent himself in every direction, trying in vain to evade the maddening touches. Dean was always gentle, kept the speed slow, but it still seemed to drive Cas crazy.

“You are the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.” On impulse, Dean leaned down supporting himself with one arm and kissed Castiel’s forehead.

The laughter got lost in a gasp. Dean froze, realizing what he had just done.

“Oh. Oh _shit_.” He scrambled off Cas, mouth agape at his own carelessness. “Shit, Cas I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean–” He turned away, ashamed to look Cas in the face. That wasn’t how he wanted to reveal his feelings. He hadn’t wanted to just spring a surprise kiss on him. It had just felt so natural, he hadn’t even thought about it.

“Cas, let me expl–”

“Dean.” Cas’ face was straight and his tone was flat; totally unreadable. Dean felt his cheeks burn in shame. “Please take these off.” He spun his wrists in the padded straps.

“I am so sorry Cas,” Dean pleaded, rushing over to undo the restraints. “That was totally out of line and I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Cas remained quiet as Dean freed his hands. Dean came around the side of the bed, avoiding eye contact.

“I… I don’t…” He didn’t know what else to say. He had ruined everything.

“Dean, come here.”

Dean glanced up to see Cas sitting up and beckoning him closer. Was he going to hit him? He probably deserved that. When Dean was just inches away from Castiel’s knees, braced for anything, hands shot out and grabbed the cotton of his tee shirt. Cas hauled him the rest of the short space and planted a forceful, insistent kiss right on Dean’s lips before he even knew what was happening. When they came apart and Dean met Castiel’s eyes again, he saw a radiant smile.

“You have absolutely nothing to apologize for.”

Dean’s slack jaw allowed a startled breath to pass out, then back in. Barely a second passed before Dean was dipping back down to taste Castiel’s lips again. He pressed rhythmically against the soft resistance and reveled in the feeling of Cas pressing back. The warm breath puffing over his cheek excited Dean, knowing it was Castiel’s air he was feeling. Delirious happiness sang through his body at finally getting to do something he’d wanted to do almost from the beginning. Cas still held a firm grasp on his shirt, keeping him close. His fists twisted as they came away for a breath, sending a jolt through Dean.

“Cas,” Dean gruffly sighed.

He brought an arm to rest along Castiel’s spine, palm resting over the curve of his neck. Castiel’s arms became trapped between them, so he pulled them out and wrapped them around Dean’s chest, bringing them flush together.

“Didn’t you say this was a no sex zone?” Cas breathed into the tiny space between their lips. He wrapped a leg around the back of Dean’s thighs temptingly.

“Fuck. I did. Benny would kill me… Definitely not OSHA kosher.” Dean grit his teeth, pressing his forehead against Cas’.

Castiel pressed laughing kisses along Dean’s stubbly jaw, rolling into each one of them. He stopped at Dean’s ear and whispered, “Then take me home.”

All the air punched out of him, leaving Dean dizzy. “Hell yes.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You're going to hate me for leaving it here. I promise I'll be back with the next chapter asap, but school is crazy. Hope you enjoyed this one, and if I feel like it's going to be a REALLY long time, I'll release the special chapter rewrite from Deans POV to tide you over. Thanks, and loves! <3


	6. Chapter 6

The journey to the car was fumbling and slightly dangerous. Dean had broken their hold, almost pulling Castiel off the table by accident. He grabbed Castiel’s abandoned shirt and roughly attempted to force him back into it. Castiel had squirmed to regain control, chuckling when he finally popped his head through the right hole and saw Dean’s determined expression. Dean had tsked and leaned in for another hard kiss before pulling him off the table and out the door. Castiel was too elated to watch where he was going, and Dean didn’t seem to be much better off. They rushed through the short, dark hall and didn’t even make it to the lobby before Castiel jerked Dean’s arm to spin him back against the wall. He smiled up into Dean’s face, pinning him there to get another look at him in the glow of the lights from the street. 

“Finally, I get to touch you for a change,” Castiel marveled. 

Dean gasped when Castiel wrapped his hands around his rib cage, moving them over every surface. He didn’t care that the shirt bunched and wrinkled under his hands. He hadn’t realized until now how much he wanted to touch Dean. He wanted to give back even just a small part of what Dean had given him. It had been building for so long, it felt like the flood might never stop now that it had been loosed. 

“Yeah, but not yet okay?” Dean pleaded, “Let’s get out of here first.”

“Fine,” Castiel growled. He pecked Dean on the chin and let him go, keeping hold of his left hand.

Dean smiled with a mixture of happiness and excitement. Dean locked the door one-handed as they left, never letting go of Castiel until they reached the Impala. Dean opened the passenger side for Castiel, then slid in himself. With both hands on the wheel, Dean swung out of the parking lot. Castiel watched him for a while, not bothering to hide that he was staring. Dean’s arms were stiff, face exceedingly concentrated. He was speeding. A lot. Castiel unbuckled his seatbelt and slid over the bench seat ‘til he was nearly leaning on Dean.

“Relax Dean, there’s no hurry,” Castiel spoke softly.

“Yes there is,” Dean said simply.

“On the contrary,” Castiel purred, slipping one hand onto Dean’s thigh, “I prefer it slow.” He smoothed his hand sluggishly toward Dean’s knee, then back up as far as he dared.

“Fuck, Cas, you are not helping.”

Castiel chuckled. “You better drive safely or we’ll never get there. I’ve let you tease me twice now; more than that when you consider how some of those massages felt. If you can’t even make it back to your place, I’d say you need to work on your stamina.”

“At least buckle up, would you?” Dean said, apparently ignoring Castiel’s jab.

“Only if you promise to slow down.”

“I’m not going to crash.”

“No. But when you get pulled over by the police and we’re held up for thirty minutes, don’t blame me if I choose to defile your back seat. On my own, I might add; cops be damned.”

Dean groaned, deep and lusty. He took his foot off the accelerator.  “Shit. You’re going to be the death of me.”

“Hmm, I hope not,” Castiel said, clipping on the middle seat belt and resuming his steady petting of Dean’s leg. “That wouldn’t be very much fun for me.”

Castiel entertained himself by distracting Dean just enough to be interesting. Hypocritical, he knew, when he had just chastised him for speeding. He nuzzled Dean’s shoulder with his nose, nipping and kissing over the sleeve every so often. His hand never wavered from its path. He could see how he was affecting Dean by his white-knuckle grip and steadfast gaze out the windshield. When they finally arrived at a modest home with a generous garage, Dean threw the car into park, yanked off his seat belt and twisted so he could seize Castiel’s arms. He grunted into a forceful kiss.

“You are incredibly sexy when you’re horny,” Dean rumbled.

“I could say the same of you,” Castiel smiled salaciously.

Dean chuckled darkly. He pushed himself away, exiting the car to stride around the other side. By the time Castiel had unbuckled too and slid to the passenger side, Dean had opened the door for him again. 

“So courteous,” Castiel remarked.

“I’m always courteous.”

“I hope you’re not  _ this _ courteous to all your customers. If so, then I think I may need to mark my turf a bit. Someone else is going to snatch you up.”

“Oh, yeah? And how would you do that?” Dean smirked.

Castiel narrowed his eyes with a scheming smile. He took Dean by the hips and held him against the car. “Good question. How would you like me to? Shall I suck a bruise high on your neck so you can’t cover it? Or perhaps you’d prefer one in a place where only you and I will know about.”

Castiel felt Dean shudder as he leaned toward him. 

“Uhh… Good question.” 

Castiel kissed Dean’s neck softly just once then replied, “Why don’t you think about it, for now? Maybe I’ll ask again later.”

“Yeah… okay,” Dean breathed.

Dean guided him, walking backward to the door connecting the garage to the house. Castiel jumped when the garage door started coming down. It was dark inside; orange light from a streetlamp cast slanting shapes on the floor and walls. Castiel didn’t pay much attention to anything besides Dean as he pulled him hastily through the house. They finally came to a stop in what was surely Dean’s room. The beautiful blue glow from the full moon seeped into the room from a large sliding glass door to the back yard. Castiel shut the door behind him. He didn’t know why he was compelled to do so. It was clear no one else was in the house. He just felt like he wanted to be completely alone with Dean. Maybe closing the door helped convince him that they were both really here, that this small space was only theirs just for this moment. 

“Do you have any idea,” Dean began, turning on a bedside lamp, “how long I’ve wanted you?”

Castiel’s cheeks warmed and he grinned. “No, but I bet I’ve got you beat.” 

“You think so?” Dean returned his smile before swooping in and wrapping his arms fully around Castiel’s waist. He heaved, lifting Castiel right off the floor and carrying him the few steps to the bed. Before Castiel could protest, he had been plopped onto the mattress, a startled grin on his face. 

Dean crawled to hover over Castiel’s prone form. “Do you want to make a wager? Whoever liked the other latest… I don’t know, has to make breakfast.”

Castiel’s breathing stalled. “I can… stay for breakfast?”

Dean scoffed. “Duh, of course you’re staying for breakfast. Now stay on target. You taking the bet?”

Castiel pressed on, ignoring the squirmy feeling in his belly. “How will we know who won? Whoever tells second is at a clear advantage because he just has to pick a time before the other, true or not.”

“Hm, you’re right.” Dean considered this. “We’ll just say it at the same time.” 

Castiel smiled up at Dean. “Okay. On the count of three?”

Dean nodded and started counting.

“The first day!” 

“Our second appointment.” 

Dean sat back with a smug  _ ha! _ and Castiel gaped. “Seriously? You were into me that fast?”

“I wasn’t completely sure at first. Thought you would be a fun one-night-stand at least. But then you were so awesome, I knew you were worth more than that.” Dean said with surprising sincerity.

“Wow. Guess I’m making breakfast.”

“Score,” Dean smirked, leaning back over him and capturing his lips.

Castiel sighed into it, reaching up to hold Dean’s handsome shoulders. He marveled at the sensation of it; the curvature of every muscle, the slide of his fingers over every bump down his spine. When he reached his lumbar, Dean pressed down lower, bringing their torsos together. Dean settled between Castiel’s legs, but stopped short of grinding his hips down. Castiel tried to meet him halfway but failed when Dean pulled back.

“Nuh-uh. You said you liked it slow, didn’t you?”

In a fit of furious desire, Castiel seized Dean and flipped them over so he was straddling Dean. 

“I did say that, didn’t I?” Castiel gazed at the man beneath him, sitting on his thighs. Feeling frisky, Castiel decided to try and rile him up a little bit. “Tell me, have you ever let someone tickle you, the way you do to others?”

Dean looked puzzled at the turn the conversation took, but he answered anyway. “Actually no. Never willingly let anyone tickle me before.”

Castiel’s lips tipped crookedly as he leaned in. “Would you let me?”

Shock flooded Dean’s cheeks and turned them pink. “Uh...I…”

Castiel boldly pushed a little more. “You can dish it out, but can’t take it, hm? Maybe I should save it for a punishment; be really ruthless about it.” 

Dean groaned and it turned into a choked giggle when Castiel wiggled his fingers over the side of his neck. He caught hold of Castiel’s wrist before he could pull away.

“You better watch it, Cas, you’re talking to someone who has been doing this professionally for a long time,” Dean warned. He began kissing Castiel’s palm and wrist.

“I think I’ll take my chances.”

Being unable to stand it any longer, Castiel ran his fingers up through Dean’s hair, gripping it tightly. He took a deep breath and crashed their lips together again. They breathed hard against each other, surprisingly loud smacking sounds filling the silence as they kissed. Castiel used his left hand to pry Dean’s arm away from his back so that he could entwine their fingers. He pressed their hands into the mattress, needing another outlet to release this growing energy. Castiel had been so consumed by the kissing, he didn’t realize he was already rutting against Dean until he felt him twitch in response.

“Mmm, Dean,” He breathed.

Now that he was aware of it, Castiel became purposeful with his motions. He slowed down, rubbing their clothed cocks together at an inconsistent pace. He kept it light; nowhere near enough to satisfy, just enough to tease. He built the pace until Dean was arching and breathing harder, then he’d slow way down again. Meanwhile, Dean was touching him everywhere his free hand could reach. He combed through Castiel’s wild hair, snuck under the hem of his shirt to stroke the length of his side, and tried to grasp anything. It went on so long, Castiel’s arms and legs began to shake.

Finally, Dean had had enough and rolled them back over. Castiel was somewhat relieved that he could relax now. The instant he was upright, Dean took off his shirt. Castiel was treated to the sight of Dean’s bare skin at last. He didn’t have long to appreciate it before Dean was trying to tear Castiel’s shirt from him as well. Castiel helped wordlessly, wanting to feel that smooth muscle all over him. As soon as the shirt was removed, Dean came down to devour Castiel’s neck. It was all sucking and tongue, to the point that he was surprised it wasn’t gross. It was, in fact, hot as hell. Castiel tipped his head back and let Dean go to town. Dean cradled Castiel’s neck with one hand and blindly undid his own jeans with the other. Then he moved on to Castiel’s pants. His hips shot forward with a yelp, smooshing Dean’s hand between them.

Dean came away from his neck and chuckled, “Hang on.”

He pushed Castiel back down and opened Castiel’s pants. He didn’t move to pull them down any further, just the boxer briefs to reveal his erection. Dean gazed appreciatively and brought his own cock out. Suddenly he got a weird look on his face.

“Ah, shit. Uh… You clean?” Dean asked quickly.

“Yes. You?”

“Yep. Sorry, that’s not very sexy.”

Castiel sniggered and tugged Dean down by the shoulders. “No, but you’re hot enough to make up for it.” He kissed Dean’s smile chastely. “And it would be even less sexy if the answer was no and you didn’t ask.” 

“Just remember this if you ever question which one of us is the responsible one.”

“Oh yes, I will take every opportunity to think of this.”

And with a rock of his hips for emphasis, Castiel had them both back on track. Dean took them both in hand and started stroking and humping into his fist. Castiel’s mouth dropped open, uncertain whether he wanted to gasp or cry out. In the end, he didn’t have to decide because Dean went right for his lower lip and they started kissing again. He could easily sit and kiss Dean for hours. He was clever and purposeful with every press of lips, every twist of his hand. Now Castiel was the one grasping for something to hold. 

“You’re incredible, Cas,” Dean said hotly.

“I’m not even...doing anything– ah!” Castiel’s breath was ragged and irregular. 

“You are. The sounds you make, the way you move. It’s amazing.”

Castiel, flustered by the compliments and dizzy from the arousal, couldn’t manage a response. He just let it wash over him.

“You close, Cas?” Dean increased the speed of his hand and the depth of his thrusts.

“Y-yes... Ah– oh, _mmm._ ” Castiel barely had the breath to moan.

“God, you’re so gorgeous. What I wouldn’t give to really fuck you.” 

With those words, a hot rush crashed through Castiel, pushing him over the edge. He had no awareness of his body, other than the pleasure it felt. Dean worked him through it until he was sensitive and soft. Castiel was breathing hard, arms tight around Dean’s neck and shoulders, one leg tossed over Dean’s ass. He didn’t even have his eyes open again before he felt the warmth of Dean’s come joining his own on his chest. When he finally did open his eyes, Dean’s face was slack with ecstasy and it was a beautiful look on him. 

Dean took a few deep breaths before he gradually collapsed halfway on top of Castiel. They settled, tangled in each other and fitting together just so. Dean hummed, head on Castiel’s shoulder, breath caressing his neck. Castiel smiled, rubbing his hand up and down Dean’s back. He wished they had taken off their pants. He wanted to be rid of them so he could feel all of Dean. It also felt kind of weird to have just his dick hanging out, but he was loath to move away for even a second. 

They were quiet for a long while, just enjoying each other’s presence. Eventually, Castiel began to feel glued to Dean.

“I did not picture this evening ending like this,” He said abruptly.

“No?” Dean asked, eyes closed but lips quirked.

“Not even close.”

“I hope it was a good surprise.”

“Very. I forgot what that was like.”

“What do you mean?” Dean asked, propping his chin up and peering droopily at Castiel.

“Not having to work for an orgasm. To just let it happen. To be caught off guard by it. It’s extraordinary.”

Dean perked up, eyes clearing. When he didn’t say anything, Castiel tipped his head to get a better look at his face. “Damn, Cas. If you’re having to work that hard for orgasms, I think you might be doing it wrong.” Dean sounded somewhere between shock and pity.

“At some point, it became closer to a chore than anything,” Castiel explained, pretending like it wasn’t a big deal. It wasn’t. Really. “Didn’t feel the same as it used to. You become familiar with your own patterns and I guess it just kind of… plateaus.” 

Dean leaned back over and kissed Castiel’s swollen lips ravenously. Castiel melted even more if that was possible. 

“I can be creative.” Dean smiled sweetly, tone and expression disparate from his lascivious implication.

Castiel chuckled. “I know you can.”

Dean smiled wider and buried his face in Castiel’s neck.

“I’m tired of pants,” Castiel added with no preamble.

Dean completely cracked up, loudly and suddenly. His laughter shook the whole bed and moved Castiel to join in. They snorted and sniggered until they forgot what they were laughing at. They were just laughing because they didn’t feel like stopping. Once they had calmed down a little, Dean kissed Castiel’s cheek a couple of times, still huffing against his skin, then stood and walked to the door.

“Be right back. Get your pants off while I’m gone.”

Castiel stared after him for a long moment, teeth biting down on a smile. He flopped back onto his back and raised his hips to remove his pants and underwear. He threw them in the same direction he thought he’d sent his shirt. He couldn’t be bothered to check for sure. Dean returned a while later with a damp washcloth hung over his arm, already clean himself. He also carried a glass of water and a tall sandwich. 

“Sorry, I was getting hungry since we hadn’t had anything since lunch. Do you like PB&J?”

Dean handed Castiel the glass of water and then offered what Castiel now realized was the top-most of two sandwiches.

“I love PB&J,” He said, delighted.

“Good,” Dean grinned, taking a bite of his own sandwich. He made sure Castiel saw him coming with the washcloth and proceeded to wipe his torso clean. It was warm.

“Thank you,” Castiel said, one cheek bulging with peanut-buttery yumminess. 

Dean sat down on the bed, back against the headboard. Castiel offered the water back and Dean took a few sips gratefully. When he was mostly finished with his sandwich, Dean tipped his head toward the ceiling.

“I was serious, you know, when I said I thought you were worth more than a one night stand.”

Castiel turned his face to see Dean properly but didn’t say anything, not knowing what he was getting at.

“I just, uh... “ Dean continued, “I want to know what you want. From this.” 

The vulnerability in his voice made Castiel’s heart stumble. He knew what he wanted, but he wanted to be clear about Dean’s intentions before he committed too completely. He reached over toward Dean realizing he had a smudge of jelly and peanut butter in two places just before he placed his hand over Dean’s. He quickly licked off the mess, wiping his hand on his chest, then following through. 

“I want to finish this sandwich, sleep with you in my arms, and make breakfast for you in the morning. After that, I’d like to talk. If you like we can talk about the future of “this” as you put it. I confess I’d like very much to do more of “this” in the future.”

“Dude, cut it out with the air quotes,” Dean chuckled.

“I don’t know what you’re “talking” about.”

Dean shoved Castiel in the shoulder, then scarfed the rest of his sandwich. He grabbed Castiel around the middle, wrestling him to the bed, mouth still full as he kissed his belly. Castiel flailed, half a sandwich still occupying one hand. 

“Ack, Dean! Gross, swallow your food!” He laughed.

Dean laid his head down and chewed against Castiel’s sternum. When he had swallowed, Dean dropped a few more kisses, slower this time. His lips were still sticky, but Cas didn’t mind as much as he could have. Castiel finished his sandwich and let Dean continue as he pleased. The kisses eventually slowed to a stop, so Castiel tugged at Dean’s arms before he could fall asleep. Dean roused himself enough to let Castiel turn off the light, then they snuggled up at a more even height, Dean bringing the blankets up with him. 

“See you in the morning, Cas.”

“Goodnight, Dean.”

###  ~♡~

Waking up was disorienting. The smells, the direction of the light, the texture of the sheets were all wrong. Although, not unpleasant at all. The instant Castiel simultaneously heard and felt Dean exhale across the pillow in his sleep, he broke into a wide smile. He slowly took stock of his limbs, noting that his legs were tangled with Deans, but they had mostly separated in their sleep. That would make running off to the bathroom then the kitchen easier. What did not make it easier was looking at Dean. Seeing the person you care about sleep for the first time is a funny thing. Castiel wondered what it was that made him suddenly feel protective and endlessly fond of Dean as he slept. Was it his peaceful expression? Maybe it was the proximity; being able to stare at him unabashedly without fear of Dean’s discomfort. Or perhaps it was the implicit trust that Dean was showing him by sharing a bed, letting him into his home for the first time. The level of trust they had built together gradually was something Castiel was not accustomed to. 

Castiel’s thumb ghosted over Dean’s cheekbone. Dean twitched once but didn’t wake. Castiel leaned over to place one tender kiss in the same spot then slinked out of the bed carefully. He looked around the floor, spotting his clothes from yesterday. He wrinkled his nose, not looking forward to wearing them dirty, especially his underwear. Cliche as it was, his gaze slipped over to Dean’s open closet and it took very little self-convincing to just go ahead and steal one of Dean’s flannels. He wouldn’t mind. Would he mind if Castiel borrowed boxers too? He decided if he did, he could just pay him back somehow. And if he took a pair that he thought would look a little sexy on him, who could blame him?

After he used the facilities and swished away the worst of the morning breath, it was on to the kitchen. He prided himself as a decent cook, but he tended to keep things simple. He started the coffee machine first, then he took a look at what he had to work with. As it turned out, the answer was not much. There were condiments, bread, leftover take out… ah, thank goodness. A carton of eggs. Castiel found an onion and half a green pepper, so he chopped enough of those to add to the eggs, seasoned them with chili powder, garlic powder, and pepper. Dean didn’t have any cheese or he would have put that in there too. There was some deli ham in as well, so in lieu of bacon or sausage he fried that up enough to get it warm. As he was finishing up and putting bread in the toaster, he heard what sounded like a curse from Dean’s room. He didn’t hear anything else for a few moments.

“Dean?” He called with mild concern.

He definitely heard a curse that time followed by a loud thump. Castiel just about left to go check on him when Dean came stumbling around the corner, looking frazzled.

“Is everything alright?” Castiel asked. The look of surprise on Dean’s face was not reassuring, but it quickly melted into relief.

“Oh, good,” Dean sighed.

“Dean?”

“Sorry, Cas, I just uh… when you weren’t… I thought for a second...”

Castiel smiled sympathetically. How many times had people run out on Dean for that to be the first thing he assumes when he wakes up to an empty bed? He can’t have even checked the floor for his clothes before he jumped to that conclusion.

“Come here.” 

Castiel beckoned with his hand. He figured drawing attention to Dean’s insecurity was not the best course of action. He understood, and it didn’t matter as long as he could prove he wasn’t that kind of person. Dean shuffled over, wearing a sleepy smile. When he was close enough, Castiel caught his wrist and pulled him in for a quick kiss.

“Good morning,” Castiel said, grinning.

“Mornin’,” Dean replied bashfully. Then he very obviously looked up and down the length of Castiel’s body. He plucked the corner of fabric hanging in front of the black boxers. “I see you helped yourself to more than just my food.”

“You don’t mind do you?” Castiel purred, turning to the stove and peering over his shoulder at Dean. The fact that the angle would show off his butt was entirely coincidental. 

“Do I mind? Hell, I’ll do whatever I can to make sure you never wear anything else.”

Dean slipped his palms up under the hem of the flannel, caressing Castiel’s hips. He stepped up to Castiel’s back and mouthed at the curve of his neck as Castiel stirred the eggs distractedly. 

“I’m almost done with breakfast.”

“It looks awesome, Cas. Sorry my fridge leaves a little to be desired.”

“It’s less the fridge and more the lack of food that leaves something to be desired. What do you even eat?” Castiel chastised teasingly. 

Dean moved away to grab a couple plates and mugs from the cupboard and handed the plates to Castiel to serve up. “I eat out more than I probably should. I make burgers sometimes.”

“You’ll be going to an early grave with a diet like that.”

“Oh, don’t you start too; I get enough of that from my brother.”

“Sam is very intelligent. You should listen to him.”

“I will happily go into a thorough explanation of why I choose time and convenience over health, but not today.” Dean placed a mug of hot coffee at opposite sides of the table.

“You’re right. Today we have other things to discuss.”

Dean’s shoulders became visually tighter as he sat down with his plate of scrambled eggs, ham, and buttered toast. 

“Don’t worry Dean, I just want to make sure we’re on the same page here.”

“Yeah, that makes sense.”

“Okay, I’ll start. First, you know it’s been a while since I’ve been in a relationship of this nature.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“The reasons for that choice are, for the most part, irrelevant now. That being said, I have very little experience as a result, and despite my age, I don’t want you to be expecting something that I–”

“Cas, don’t worry. I know what I’m getting into here.”

“And you also know that I have never been interested in a relationship based on sex.”

“Yeah, I guess I knew that, too.”

“Then what is it you want, Dean?”

“What do you mean?”

“What do you want out of this relationship?”

“I mean… I just want you.”

“In what way? I need you to be clear, Dean. I take this sort of thing very seriously.”

Dean made a sound of frustration, crossing his arms before he answered. “I want you in every way!” 

Castiel’s eyebrows shot up in shock. It was a surprisingly sensitive response, coming from Dean. His ears turned bright red, but he pressed on. “I mean, I just want to be around you, you know? I want to hang out with you and eat together and we’ll sit on the couch together while I watch movies and you read. I want to wake up with you as often as possible. For as long as possible. A real relationship.”

Castiel relaxed into a genuine smile and reached across the table for Dean’s hand. “Then I think we’re definitely on the same page.”

“Wait,” Dean said, looking almost frightened. “You should know too, that I’m not experienced in this kind of relationship either. I’ve never been a long-term relationship kind of guy. I might be worse than you at all the important stuff.”

Castiel tipped his head to the side. “What do you mean by important?”

“Like this,” Dean pointed down. “Right now. The talking and the actual relationship stuff. I’m used to doing whatever I want and not worrying about the consequences. I have no idea how I will react if we fight or get on each other’s nerves or if we run into financial problems or anything.”

“Then I guess we’ll learn together,” Castiel smiled, unfazed. Dean just looked at his cooling eggs. He didn’t seem convinced. “Dean, that’s what a relationship is all about. Everyone has to work through that sort of thing at one point or another. But we’re here to support each other, and if we work together, I think we’ll rock this.”

Dean chuckled, hearing Castiel use a phrase that was so out of character for him. That just strengthened Castiel’s faith that this would work. They already knew each other so well. When he picked up his head, Dean looked much more at ease.

“You really think so?”

“I’m certain.”

They ate their breakfast glancing up and smiling at each other frequently. Castiel felt a lightness in his chest that seemed to permeate the very air around him. This was new and exciting, but it was also familiar because it was Dean. He wasn’t scared at all. He looked forward to the challenges and joys they would experience together. It felt right, as long as he was with Dean.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woof, sorry that took so long. There will be at least one more chapter in the main storyline, then maybe one bonus chapter (possibly a coda? IDK). I'm not super good at the smut, don't know how much I'll do in the future, but I wanted to take a whack at it anyway. Hope you enjoyed it! Now that this chapter is up, I'll be posting the extra chapter that is just the first two chapters from Dean's point of view next. Just gotta check that I didn't change anything that would conflict with what I wrote since then. Love y'all!


	7. Chapter 7

Over the next couple of weeks, Castiel and Dean learned each other’s patterns. They wanted to eat together, so they figured out who could make dinner on what days. Not every night was spent together, but they tried to as often as possible. They were still deciding which place was better to spend their evenings. Castiel’s apartment had a better kitchen, but Dean’s bed was nicer, so they ended up there often. Castiel learned that Dean wasn’t really one for possessions or clutter. Dean learned that Castiel needed a little time to himself most days, and he respected that. Castiel learned that Dean didn’t always remember to take his shoes off when he came in from the garage and tracked mystery smudges onto the carpet. Dean discovered that Castiel sometimes became distracted and scatter-brained, leaving things where they should not be, including spoilable food out of the fridge. 

But Dean also learned that Castiel was incredibly observant when he wasn’t wrapped in his own thoughts. He could divine what Dean was feeling before he even said anything and he acted on it. Castiel learned that Dean was endearingly affectionate in the sweetest of ways. He was thoughtful and unapologetic about it. And in these little ways, they were figuring it out step by step. 

 

On a Saturday evening when they had nothing planned, they sat in Castiel’s living room, Castiel pre-reading a draft on one side of the couch. Dean lounged, feet planted on the center cushion, face turned to the television. He was watching some cheesy horror flick on the Sci-Fi channel. Castiel wasn’t really paying attention, but the characters appeared to be in an abandoned airport terminal and there was some sort of time distortion involved. He was able to ignore the quiet dialogue and focus on his reading. 

That is, he  _ was _ able to until Dean’s toes started inching closer. At first, it was just a touch, his toes making contact with Castiel’s thigh. He paid it no mind and continued reading. Then Dean started wiggling his toes, wedging them under his leg further. Castiel spared a glance for Dean, but he was still apparently focused on the movie. He returned to reading, mildly peeved, but thinking that was the end of it. A few moments later when Dean pulled one foot out and set it fully on Castiel’s lap, rolling it back and forth, Castiel had nearly had enough. 

“Dean,” He said sternly, feeling no need to elaborate. Dean didn’t even look over.

“Hm? Sorry.”

Dean stopped moving, but he left his foot on Castiel’s lap. Castiel sighed and started reading again. It wasn’t five minutes before the foot began to jiggle; the toes that remained under his thigh wiggled again too. Castiel gave Dean the stink eye, but it went unappreciated, receiving a very contained twitch of the lips. There was clearly only one course of action. Castiel lowered one hand to the sole of Deans foot and applied one quick swipe to the center of it. Dean made a startled sound and jerked his foot away briefly, but it returned after the initial shock. Castiel watched Dean for some indication of his next action. When Dean started flexing his foot forward and back Castiel resigned himself to entertaining a bored Dean rather than getting through any more work tonight. 

Since their first night together officially, there had inevitably been more sexual encounters, some including playful tickling. Castiel had yet to reciprocate to that end. Maybe Dean had been waiting for him to follow through on the threat he made that night. Well, if Dean wanted to be tickled, Castiel wasn’t going to make it easy for him.

Setting down the packet of pages, Castiel took hold of Dean’s ankle and repeated the stroke he had used earlier. Dean snickered and twitched, but didn’t try to pull away. Oh, yeah, he wanted this. 

“You realize I am trying to work right now, right?” Castiel prompted.

“Yeah,” Dean said through clenched teeth.

“And yet you continue to antagonize me.”

“What do you mean? I’m just getting comfortable.” Dean replied staring resolutely at the screen. A quivering smile hovered on his lips. Castiel continued to slowly trace up and down the length of Dean’s sole.

“Uh-huh. I bet.” Castiel drew tiny circles in the center of Dean’s foot, making them both lose the ability to contain their smiles. “Well, maybe I’ll just go to the desk. I’d like to get this done before I go to bed tonight.” He stopped his finger and gave Dean’s foot a solid squeeze. 

“Wh-wait,” Dean sat up half-way, finally looking at Castiel. He hesitated, looking disappointed and pouty. “Do you have to finish it now? Can’t it wait? It’s the weekend, man.”

“It is, but Dean if I don’t get this done tonight, I’ll be behind all week.” It was a lie. He was actually doing fine at work, and he could probably wait til Monday to continue this project. 

“Oh, okay. But… you don’t have to leave. If you don’t want to.” Dean lied down and tried to pull his legs away from Castiel.

Castiel couldn’t let that dejected look linger too long. He held tighter to Dean’s ankle pulling him back into his lap. “What do  _ you _ want, Dean?”

“I uh… want you to stay.” It was adorable how shy Dean still was about some things. 

“And?”

“And what?” Dean asked, confused, cautious.

“Do you want anything else?” Castiel’s fingers fluttered at the base of Dean’s heel.

Dean’s smile was shaky. “N-no.”

Castiel smiled with exaggerated understanding. “If you say so.” He sighed a put-upon sigh.  “I’m sorry, I should really be going,” he said, patting Dean on the leg and lifting it out of the way so he could stand. He held Dean’s eye the whole way with a resigned half-smile. 

Before he was even fully standing, Dean stopped him again. “Wait.”

“Yes?” Castiel asked innocently. When he was seated, Dean immediately put both his feet in Castiel’s lap and covered his face with a throw pillow. Castiel chuckled richly. “Come on, Dean, I won’t know unless you ask for it.”

“Fuck you, don’t make me say it out loud!”

“You have no trouble when the positions are reversed; what’s the big deal?”

“You know it’s different, you bastard,” Dean accused, voice muffled by the pillow. He attempted to kick Castiel in the stomach, but Castiel deftly caught him before he made contact.

“I do, indeed.” Finally, Castiel took pity and gave Dean what he refused to ask for. 

Dean made a sound of surprise and gripped the pillow tighter as he tried not to pull away from the teasing fingers. Castiel watched and listened with gleeful enjoyment. He tried to pin Dean’s shins with one arm so the other could continue tickling, but as it became more difficult for Dean to sit still, holding him down also became more difficult. Castiel turned sideways and scooped Dean’s wiggling feet into one arm. 

“Ah! Cahahas!” 

Castiel barely had to move his fingers as Dean was squirming so much, he practically did the tickling for him.

“Hey, you asked for it, if wordlessly. Happy now?” Castiel grabbed one foot so he could dig his thumb into the ticklish center. 

“Fu– Shi–shihihit–” Dean could hardly get a word out. Castiel decided to use that for this little game.

“Tell me you like it.” He said, a bit sadistically. He moved his fingers wildly over both soles, peering over his shoulder to watch Dean arch and bend against the couch with laughter. “Tell me you like it, or I’ll stop.”

Dean just continued to laugh raucously for a moment, halting attempts to form words getting ruined by helpless chuckles. 

“I– Cah– CAS!” Dean shouted when Castiel pulled the toes of one foot back to scribble on the ball of his foot. Castiel indulged in this spot until he started to feel a little cruel. He eased back returning to gentle strokes.

“Tell me, Dean.” 

“I, heh… I lihihike– HAH! I like it!” Dean finally admitted.

“You like what?”

“Aw, fuck you!” Dean crowed, surprisingly clearly. Castiel pulled back his toes again and he didn’t even have to tickle for more than a second before Dean was changing his tune. “AH-haha, FINE! Gahahah, gimme a sec!”

Castiel slowed down again, allowing Dean to catch his breath. 

“I like when you… tickle me-hee,” Dean giggled.

Castiel smiled as broad as Dean. He bent forward to place a soft kiss on the top of Dean’s secured foot. “Good. I like it too.” 

Castiel held tight to his captive and trailed gentle tickles over every inch of Dean’s feet, making him giggle and shiver. He explored the ticklish skin from toe to heel, searching out every weakness. Dean flailed and guffawed when Cas spread Dean’s toes and brushed a single finger between them. There was a spot on his instep just above the heel that made Dean go silent with laughter. Finally, when Dean was red in the face with a tear running down his cheek, Castiel stopped and squeezed his feet soothingly. 

“You are insufferable,” Castiel said fondly, kissing Dean’s big toe. 

Dean just panted with a dazed smile, one arm over his eyes. It took him a few moments for the lingering chuckles to die down. When they did, he peered down and gestured mutely for Castiel to lay next to him. He ended up more on top of Dean than beside him, but that suited them both just fine. Dean wrapped him up in his arms and held him tight, kissing him soundly on the lips. They both smiled into it, making it a little awkward. Dean trailed kisses over Castiel’s cheek, his jaw, his neck. Then with no warning, he blew a raspberry in the crook of his neck. Castiel shouted in surprise, devolving into loud laughter, unable to escape Dean’s hold. 

Castiel began to protest when Dean’s hands started squeezing his sides, his arms able to reach all the way around Castiel’s waist. Weak with laughter, Castiel was trapped as one of Dean’s hands traveled lower. Castiel arched like a fish out of water when Dean tickled over his flank.

“Oh my god. Is your ass ticklish? Could you be any more adorable?” Dean teased with an undertone of genuine adoration.

When Dean began to repeatedly pinch just under his butt cheek, Castiel broke.

“Ah! Gaaahahad! Pleeehehease, st–STAAAHP!”

Dean shook with laughter underneath Castiel, ceasing his torment and returning to a gentle hold so that their combined laughter wouldn’t jostle him right off the couch. 

“Ah, Cas. I want you like this every day, as long as you’ll let me.”

Castiel instantly sobered. He pushed himself up a little so he could see Dean’s face. “Do you mean that?”

Dean’s smile slipped away, replaced with realization, then bashfulness like he just then understood what he said. “I mean, yeah… I think I do. I haven’t felt this comfortable with someone in a long time. Maybe ever. When I’m with you, it feels like home.” 

Warmth filled Castiel’s chest. Yes, he wanted that with Dean. It had been clear for a long time that this was good for Castiel, but he wanted to be sure it was what Dean wanted too. This was his confirmation. 

“Wait here,” Castiel said, giving Dean a kiss on the forehead and a smile. He looked confused and a little anxious. Once in his bedroom, Castiel pulled out a drawer from his desk and smiled at the small wooden box, bright burgundy in color. He quickly returned to the living room with the box behind his back, nerves fluttering in his belly. 

“Do you remember that conversation we had about me giving you something to mark you as mine?” Castiel asked.

“Uh, you mean the one where you held me against my car and taunted me?” Dean huffed, “Yeah, Cas, I remember.”

“It was mostly a joke at the time; it was all very new and uncertain then. But it wasn’t long before I was sure.” Castiel handed Dean the box, shiny and slim. 

Dean looked at it with unbridled interest. He appreciated the intricate gold filigree on the borders of the handsome box, then carefully opened it.

“Perhaps it’s a little old fashioned, but I thought it a better alternative to a wristwatch since you don’t like to wear anything while working.”

Dean’s surprise and delight shone in his eyes. The gold chain of the pocket watch jingled pleasantly as he picked up the face. He held it up at eye level and clicked it open.

“It’s a refurbished antique,” Castiel explained, “look inside the lid.” 

Dean glanced at Castiel, a grateful smile on his parted lips. He peered curiously at the golden inner surface. There was an inscription there:  _ My days, my trust, and my heart are yours because you are mine. -Cas _

“Cas…”

Dean looked stunned. The nerves he felt earlier were coming back, sour. Was he going too far? Were those words too possessive, no matter how true they felt? Had he misunderstood?

“Is it too much? It’s ridiculous, isn’t it? I’m sorry, I–”

“Cas.” 

Dean smiled incredulously, then swooped in like a bird of prey to capture Castiel’s lips. 

“This is incredible,” He said when they broke apart, “I love it. I want to be yours.” 

Castiel breathed out on a smile, relieved. Dean chuckled and pulled him in for another heart-melting kiss. He held Castiel’s jaw so tenderly and pressed with such sweetness. 

“I love you,” Dean whispered like it was easy.

“I love you, too,” Castiel whispered back, and it truly was easy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading! I'm sorry for the wait, and I know it's not a very long chapter. I just finished finals for the term. I haven't been able to write because of school. It was hard to come back after so long away from the story and pick it up where I left off. I'm making a goal to write at least 2000 words a week so that I can stay in the story and don't lose my flow. I have other stories in the wings, but no guarantees when they will drop. They range from 10,000 words to 100,000 (at least that's my estimate lol). Have a lovely summer, and see you next time!


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